Deployment of the renewable energy sector in Iran under western sanction

The development of Iran’s renewable energy sector has long been constrained by Western sanctions, limited access to foreign investment, and technological restrictions, despite the country’s abundant renewable resources and policy ambitions dating back to the 1960 s. The problem is further compounded by recent geopolitical tensions, including the June 2025 Israel-Iran conflict, which have intensified energy security concerns and underscored the need for diversification away from fossil fuels. This study aims to examine how Iran’s Economic Resistance Model has shaped the deployment of renewable energy, focusing on policy measures, domestic innovation, and strategic international partnerships that seek to overcome sanctions-related barriers. A descriptive research methodology was employed, analyzing historical data, government reports, and prior scholarly studies on Iran’s energy sector, renewable projects, and sanctions impacts. The study highlights the historical trajectory of hydropower, solar, and wind energy, the effects of direct and indirect sanctions on investment, technology, and skilled labor, and the initiatives under the Economic Resistance Model, including the promotion of a knowledge-based economy, entrepreneurship, academic-industry linkages, and collaboration with non-sanctioning countries such as China. The findings reveal that, while sanctions and geopolitical tensions have slowed the pace of renewable energy deployment, Iran has made notable domestic advances in hydropower and solar energy, with emerging wind projects and localized start-ups contributing to resilience. Current geopolitical pressures have accelerated the strategic prioritization of renewables, suggesting that Iran’s energy transition will increasingly rely on domestic capacity, innovation, and selective international cooperation.

Keywords: economic sanctions; energy transition; renewables development; Iran.

For citation: Rasoulinezhad E. Deployment of the renewable energy sector in Iran under western sanction // Social Novelties and Social Sciences. – 2026. – N 1. – P. 123–134.
DOI: 10.31249/snsn/2026.01.08

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