The Iranian economy is weaker because of low crude oil prices, UPI reported citing the International Monetary Fund said.
The Iranian economy is expected to decline in terms of real gross domestic production from 3 percent to between 0.5 percent to -0.5 percent next year, depending in part on when sanctions are lifted, the IMF said.
 A September report from analysis firm Verisk Maplecroft said sanctions on the conservative Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has considerable influence over the economy, could dampen some of the post-sanctions recovery prospects.
Martin Cerisola, assistant regional director for the IMF, said in a statement postponed investment decisions have slowed the Iranian economy.
“The economy faces severe structural challenges,” he said. “The sharp decline in global oil prices has cooled off the momentum in economic activity.”
“The complexity and extent of the problems require strong political leadership and support for decisive and coordinated action,” Cerisola said.