Iranian Rial Hits Historic Low Against the US Dollar

Tuesday, 10 December 2025 | Web Desk

The Iranian rial has plummeted to its lowest level in history. According to Iranian media reports, in the open market, one US dollar was recently exchanged for approximately 1,250,000 rials.

For comparison, during Donald Trump’s presidency in 2018, one dollar was equivalent to around 55,000 rials. Since then, the Iranian currency has been in a steady decline.

Economic experts attribute the drop to the government’s recent economic liberalization policies, which have put further pressure on the open market. Ordinary citizens are increasingly buying foreign currency to meet daily necessities, while businesses mostly rely on the government’s official exchange rates.

According to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, allowing importers to purchase dollars from the open market for essential goods has driven up the demand for dollars, causing prices to skyrocket.

The World Bank predicts that Iran’s economy could shrink by 1.7% in 2025 and 2.8% in 2026, raising concerns about a potential recession. Meanwhile, inflation continues to rise, further challenging the financial stability of ordinary Iranians.