How the US attacks Iran's pistachio industry

The U.S. has waged a war on Iran’s pistachio industry, dating back to the 1979 Iranian revolution, employing tariffs, sanctions, and trade bans to make it difficult for Iran to export pistachios. These protectionist measures have also allowed the U.S. to grow their own domestic pistachio industry.

Before the U.S. tariffs and sanctions, Iran was the world’s leading exporter of pistachios. After the sanctions, the U.S. went from being a small exporter to the world’s leading exporter. Today, the U.S. is the number one exporter of pistachios, having the largest global share, while Iran still has the second largest share.

The Resnick family controls most of the U.S. pistachio market, producing the “Wonderful” brand of pistachios for domestic consumption and export. Moreover, there are allegations that they have pushed for sanctions on Iran for two reasons: their financial support for organizations linked to the Israeli military and their interest in reducing competition from Iranian pistachios.

BT visited specialized nuts and dried fruit stores in Tehran, where pistachios are prepared and sold. The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has caused a sharp decline in pistachio sales domestically, due to shop closures and internal displacement. Moreover, inflation, in part linked to U.S. sanctions, has caused pistachios to become more expensive, harming Iranian consumers and small businesses.

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