Dalga Khatinoglu

Articles by this Author
A lone camel rider traverses a vast desert in Saudi Arabia in May 2025, with an oil refinery faintly visible on the horizon.
Middle East Forum Observer
Why 2026 Will Be a Tough Year for Middle Eastern Oil Producers
With the Low Oil Prices Projected for the Year, Most Major Middle Eastern Oil Producers Will Face Budget Deficits
January 27, 2026
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Dalga Khatinoglu
A machine counts Iranian rial banknotes.
Middle East Forum Observer
Why Iran’s Economy Is Irreparable Under the Islamic Republic
The Government Effectively Has Been Bankrupt for Years, Running Annual Deficits of Roughly One-Third of Its Budget
January 25, 2026
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Dalga Khatinoglu
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest exporter of refined petroleum and petrochemical products.
Middle East Forum Observer
Why Arab States Are Trying to Prevent a U.S. Attack on Iran
Arab States in the Persian Gulf Have Concerns That Go Beyond Security and Politics, Involving Exports of Oil and Other Products
January 15, 2026
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Dalga Khatinoglu
Iranian rials or IRR banknotes from Iran.
Middle East Forum Observer
Its Allies’ Falls Continue the Destruction of Iran’s Financial Capital
Syria and Venezuela Pledged to Repay Their Debts for Oil and Gas That Iran Exported to Them, but Have Not
January 6, 2026
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Dalga Khatinoglu
A November 2022 photo of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members in Tehran, Iran.
Middle East Forum Observer
Tax Increase in Iran to Finance the IRGC and Religious Institutions
The Government Cut Projected Oil Export Revenues by 63 Percent and Will Transfer Most Exports Directly to the Revolutionary Guard
December 31, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
An old man begs in the street in Iran. Sixty percent of Iranians live below the poverty line.
Middle East Forum Observer
The Year in Review: Iran’s Deepening Economic Crisis
A Former Tehran Stock Exchange Official Recently Warned of a Potential Surge in Iran’s Inflation to as High as 3,000 Percent
December 27, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
A butcher stop in Shiraz, Iran. Prices have pushed meat and dairy products off the table for many Iranians.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran’s Currency Collapse Accelerates as Inflation Surges
Food Prices Increased by 55 to 165 Percent over the past Year, and Prices of Several Medicines Have Doubled in Recent Weeks
December 16, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
Air pollution at sunset casts a pink glow around Tehran, Iran, the most polluted city in the world.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran’s Escalating Air Pollution Crisis
Tehran Is the Most Polluted City in the World, and Iran Is the World’s Sixth-Largest Emitter of Greenhouse Gases from Fossil Fuels
December 4, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
An aerial view of Damascus, Syria, in September 2025. The country has massive infrastructure damage from years of civil war.
Middle East Forum Observer
Hope and Anxiety Over Syria’s Economic Revival
Extreme Poverty Now Affects One in Four Syrians and the Country’s Economy Is Worth Less than One-Third of What It Was in 2011
December 3, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
A liquified natural gas tanker ship.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Watches Qatar’s Soaring Gas Exports from Shared Field
The Iranian Sector of the Field Entered the Second Half of Its Lifespan Last Year, with Production and Pressure Already in Decline
November 20, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
An oil tanker is anchored in the Persian Gulf south of Iran.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Increases Floating Oil Storage Amid Difficulty in Deliveries to China
Iran Is Sending as Much Oil as Possible to Waters near China, to Maintain a Steady Supply Available for Prompt Delivery
November 10, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
Iranian passports lie on an Iranian flag.
Middle East Forum Observer
Passport Power Gap Widens Between Middle Eastern Countries and Iran
Passport Strength Reflects a Country’s Political, Economic, and Security Position in the International System
October 29, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
A money counting machine holds Iranian banknotes.
Middle East Forum Observer
How the Iranian Government and the Revolutionary Guard Corrupted Iran’s Banking System
The Combined Debt of All Twenty-Six Iranian Banks to the Central Bank Stands at About $7 Billion
October 27, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
Iran’s maritime and aviation logistics suffer from sanctions and lack of investment.
Middle East Forum Observer
Sanctions, Lack of Investments Ground Iran’s Shipping and Air Fleets
Iran Has the Largest Maritime and Tanker Fleet in the Region, but Its Vessels Are Old, and Much of Its Aviation Fleet Is Also Inactive
October 19, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
Food inflation in September 2025 hit 58 percent in Iran, more than twice that of the same month a year ago.
Middle East Forum Observer
Food Inflation Surges in Iran
Food Prices in Iran Have Tripled over the past Four Years, and the Iranian Rial Has Lost Three-Quarters of Its Value
October 10, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
The United Kingdom, France, and Germany announced on August 28, 2025, that they would begin restoring United Nations sanctions on Iran.
Middle East Forum Observer
Despite Iranian Denials, U.N. Sanctions Snapback Will Hit Economy Hard
European Union Sanctions—Covering Oil and Petrochemical Equipment, Banking, Transport, and Insurance—Also Would Be Restored
September 29, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
Iran's Lake Urmia, once the world's second-largest saltwater lake, has dried up.
Middle East Forum Observer
The Water Shortage Has Become Iran’s Greatest Crisis
Iran Ranks First in the Region and Fifth Globally in Groundwater Depletion, and Half of the Country’s Aquifers Are Now in a Critical State
September 23, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
An old man begs in the street in Iran. Sixty percent of Iranians live below the poverty line.
Middle East Forum Observer
Snapback Is the Final Nail in the Coffin of Iran’s 20-Year Development Plan
Once the Second Largest Economy in the Middle East, Iran Has No Long-Term Economic Vision as International Sanctions Are Set to Return
September 14, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
Russian troops are getting assistance in the Ukraine war from fighters from Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran’s Role in Deploying Middle Eastern Militias to the War in Ukraine
Numerous Reports Have Surfaced of Militias Sent to Fight on Russia’s Side in Ukraine, Drawn from Countries Under Iran’s Influence
September 11, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
In 2025, Iran’s gross domestic product is expected to shrink to $341 billion and its public debt has surged.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Suffers Sharp Decline in Revenues Amidst Its War with Israel
The War Shut Down the Country for Nearly Two Weeks, and Widespread State-Imposed Internet Restrictions Disrupted Online Businesses
August 30, 2025
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Dalga Khatinoglu
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