Nader Habibi
January 12, 2026
Topic: The Economy of Iran in the Shadow of International Sanctions and the Supreme Leader
Nader Habibi is the Henry
J. Leir Professor of Practice in the Economics of the Middle East at Brandeis University’s Crown Center for Middle East Studies. Before joining Brandeis University in June 2007, he served as managing director of economic forecasting and risk analysis for Middle East and North Africa in Global Insight Ltd. Mr. Habibi has worked in academic and research institutions in Iran, Turkey and the United States since 1987. He earned his master’s degree in systems engineering and his PhD in economics from Michigan State University. His most recent research projects are a) Economic relations of Middle Eastern countries with China, b) Impact of sanctions on Iran’s middle class, c) Analysis of the excess supply of college graduates in Middle Eastern countries, d) Economic relations of Turkey with Iran and Arab countries. Habibi served as director of Islamic and Middle East Studies at Brandeis University (August 2014-August 2019). Links to his publications are available here.