Iranian rial plunges as capital flight hits record levels

Thursday 19 February 2026 - 15:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Iranian rial plunges as capital flight hits record levels

Iran’s currency has tumbled to historic lows as capital flight accelerates and oil revenues decline under renewed US sanctions, deepening strains on an economy already grappling with high inflation and social pressure over potential bread price increases.

The Iranian rial weakened to around 16.3 million rials per US dollar in free market trading on Thursday, extending a sharp slide that has erased roughly 72 percent of its value over the past six months. The depreciation has intensified since the administration of President Donald Trump reinstated its maximum pressure sanctions campaign in early February.

Central Bank of Iran data show that the nominal value of the country’s oil exports fell about 10 percent to $30.7 billion in the first half of the current Iranian fiscal year, which began on March 21, 2025. The decline has come despite efforts to sustain shipments by offering steep discounts to Chinese buyers. Iranian crude is now trading at $11 to $12 per barrel below comparable benchmarks, compared with a discount of around $3 per barrel at the start of last year.

Crude loadings from terminals in the Persian Gulf dropped below 1.39 million barrels per day in January 2026, down 26 percent from a year earlier, according to data from energy analytics firm Kpler cited by Iran International. The outlet also reported that Iranian oil stored at sea reached a record 170 million barrels in mid January, equivalent to roughly 50 days of production, as China scaled back purchases and Tehran sought to shield supplies from the risk of potential US military strikes.

Capital outflows have reached unprecedented levels. The central bank’s quarterly report recorded a net outflow of nearly $9 billion in spring 2025. If the current pace continues, total capital flight could reach $36 billion by March 2026, representing about 10 percent of gross domestic product and effectively wiping out a projected trade surplus. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told the Senate Banking Committee on February 6 that Iranian leaders were moving money out of the country at a rapid rate, calling it a sign of deepening instability.

Mounting economic strain has triggered rare warnings from within Iran’s conservative establishment. Kayhan, a newspaper close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, cautioned that any increase in bread prices could have catastrophic consequences, arguing that society could not withstand another shock. The warning followed confirmation from government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani that bread prices would almost certainly rise in the near future.

The domestic pressure coincides with ongoing indirect nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said satisfactory progress was made during a second round of negotiations in Geneva on February 17, facilitated by Omani officials, though significant differences remain over Iran’s insistence on continuing uranium enrichment.

The World Bank has forecast a 2.8 percent contraction in Iran’s economy in 2026, while inflation is hovering near 60 percent according to the Statistical Center of Iran. Public debt to the domestic banking system has surged 148 percent since 2021 to about 16 quadrillion rials. The government has also reduced projected oil revenues in its upcoming fiscal budget by as much as 70 percent, underscoring the depth of fiscal stress.

The convergence of a collapsing currency, shrinking export income and record capital flight has heightened concerns about financial stability and social cohesion, as policymakers navigate sanctions pressure and sensitive domestic reforms.