Tehran – Iranian officials and agricultural experts say the country now meets approximately 85% of its food requirements through domestic production, highlighting decades of investment in agriculture as a cornerstone of Iran's strategy to strengthen food security and reduce vulnerability to external economic pressure.

 

The discussion comes after recent remarks by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who said that if Iran's frozen assets were released, the funds would be used to purchase American agricultural commodities, including soybeans, corn, and wheat. U.S. President Donald Trump has likewise stated that any released Iranian funds should be restricted to the purchase of food products from U.S. agricultural producers.

 

Iran has been under cruel U.S. sanctions since 1979. In response, the country has pursued policies aimed at expanding domestic production, increasing agricultural self-reliance, and diversifying its international trade partnerships.

 

According to official figures, domestic production currently accounts for about 85% of Iran's food supply, while national wheat production has reached approximately 14 million metric tons. Under the Seventh National Development Plan, the government aims to increase self-sufficiency in essential agricultural commodities to 90%.

 

Experts say Iran's geographical position provides an additional strategic advantage. Sharing land and maritime borders with 15 countries and possessing nearly 9,000 kilometers of international borders, including more than 6,000 kilometers of land frontiers, the country has access to multiple regional trade corridors that can help diversify import routes and strengthen supply-chain resilience.

 

Jalal Sakhi, a trade specialist, noted that Iran remains significantly dependent on imported livestock feed and cautioned that relying heavily on overland transport corridors may increase logistics costs for some commodities.

 

Offering a different assessment, Seyed Reza Nourani, President of the National Union of Agricultural Products, said Iran has access to a wide range of competitive import routes through the Caspian Sea and neighboring countries. He argued that sourcing agricultural commodities from regional partners is generally more economical than importing them from the United States due to lower transportation costs and shorter shipping distances.

 

Amir Rezaei, a university professor, said further investment in regional transport infrastructure could substantially enhance the country's food security. He pointed to the experience of Kazakhstan and Russia, where expanded rail freight networks have reduced transportation costs and improved the efficiency of agricultural trade.

 

Rezaei also highlighted the Seventh Development Plan's objectives to increase domestic production of corn and barley, alongside overseas farming initiatives with partner countries, as measures designed to improve the long-term stability of Iran's food supply.

 

He added that Iran's membership in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), together with the expansion of strategic rail and land corridors—including the Incheh Borun railway crossing and routes linking Pakistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan—could further diversify the country's import network and reduce dependence on traditional maritime supply chains.

 

According to the experts, combining greater agricultural self-reliance with diversified international trade and transport links will be essential to strengthening Iran's long-term food security in an increasingly uncertain global environment.