“I call this year the ‘Year of Economic Jihad’ and I expect the officials of the country and also our dear nation to work in a jihadi way in the economic areas.” -Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei

The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, announced on March 21 (the beginning of the new year in the Iranian calendar) a year of Economic Jihad.  This is the year 1390 under the Iranian calendar system.

His reasoning for declaring an Economic Jihad is the continued efforts by the “West” to place more economic sanctions against Iran.