Iran's underperformed investments

Iran's underperformed investments refers to a series of Iranian investments that proved to be failed investments and did not deliver any benefit, leaving Iran with heavy losses and irrecoverable debt.

Investment in ballistic missiles program

Iran is assumed to accumulate a stockpile of approximately 3000 missiles. The cost of manufacturing and maintaining missiles are listed below:

Missile

Type

Range (km)

Unit cost (USD)

Annual upkeep / maintenance (USD)

Notes

Fateh-110

SRBM

~300

$110,000 – $2.1 million

~$20,000 – $100,000

Cost varies by guidance system and version (e.g. Fateh-313 higher)

Zolfaghar

SRBM

~700

~$150,000

~$40,000

Export version used by regional proxies

Qiam-1

SRBM

~700

~$3.5 million

~$120,000

Liquid-fueled; requires more logistical maintenance

Shahab-3

MRBM

~1,300

~$3 million

~$150,000 – $250,000

Based on North Korean Nodong; extensive IRGC deployment

Ghadr-110

MRBM

~1,800

~$5 million

~$250,000

More accurate version of Shahab-3

Sejjil-2

MRBM

~2,000

~$6 million

~$200,000 – $300,000

Solid-fueled; higher storage and propellant upkeep costs

Khorramshahr

MRBM

~2,000

~$8 million

~$300,000 – $400,000

Large payload; possibly designed with nuclear delivery in mind

TRT World, Krieg, a defence analyst, estimates total direct and indirect losses due to the war with Israel to be between $24–$35 billion, equivalent to approximately 6.3 – 9.2% of Iran's estimated $380 billion GDP.

Iran's investment in the nuclear program

Direct financial expenditures

Iran has spend significant amount of resources on its nuclear program. Assessments suggest the following figures:

Indirect economic burdens and opportunity costs

The sanctions and lost economic opportunities far outweigh direct spending:

Cost area

Estimated value

Source

Lost economic opportunity

$2–3 trillion

Lost oil revenues

>$450 billion

Lost foreign investment

>$100 billion

Rial devaluation (2014–2025)

~95%

Energy renovation cost (alternative)

~$54 billion

As of the beginning of 2026 Iran suffers from electricity shortage. Former Foreign Minister Zarif admitted that financial expenditures spent on nuclear projects could have upgraded the entire energy sector over 20 times.

Iran's investment in proxies

The Iranian regime's "forward defense" strategy involves a massive financial support in its "Axis of Resistance." Iran has spent over 16bn USD since 2012 building a terror network across the Middle East as part of its plan to become the major strategic force within the region. Hezbollah receiving between $700 million and $800 million annually. [...] and Palestinian Islamic Jihad received $100 million to $150 million annually. The Houthi militias in Yemen receive over 100m USD in addition to anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles.

Despite the long going investment Iran's proxies did not backed Iran.

Iran's investments in Syria

Iran's investment in Syria represents one of the most significant and costly foreign policy endeavors in the Islamic Republic's history. Iran invested in Syria $50 billion. The Syrian economist Joseph Daher, estimates that Syria's debt to Iran is at least US$16 billion. On the other hand, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, report that the former Syrian government owed US$50 billion to Tehran.

Iran's investment in Venezuela

Iran and Venezuela hold close ties. Iran and Venezuela cooperate in petrochemicals, defense, agriculture, and more. Moreover, the two countries decided to expand bilateral trade, with plans discussed to grow trade volume up to around $20 billion over time, including exports of Iranian cars and other goods into Venezuela.

After Maduro's capture by the United States, Iran is left with $2 billion of very risky debt.

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