Today, pro-government media outlets launched a targeted disinformation campaign against Civic IDEA and its chairperson, Tinatin Khidasheli.
The narratives disseminated by these outlets align with Georgian Dream’s latest tactic: labeling anyone who asks critical questions as part of “anti-government forces” to divert attention from real issues. This campaign aims to obscure the findings of our research and discredit the evidence presented in it.
Below, we summarize the key points of the report.
What Facts Provoked the Georgian Dream?
- The Sharp Increase in Imports of Iranian Oil and Petrochemical Products to Georgia
In recent years, imports of Iranian oil and petrochemical products have grown dramatically:
- In 2020, imports from Iran totaled USD 45 million; by 2024, this figure had nearly quintupled, reaching USD 285 million.
- In 2021 alone, imports of oil and petroleum products increased by 154% compared to 2020, amounting to 3,413 tons.
It is well known that petrochemical exports constitute one of the Iranian regime’s main sources of revenue. Therefore, Georgia’s growing imports of these products amount to indirect financial support for Tehran.
- The U.S. Government’s Explicit Warning on Purchasing Iranian Petrochemical Products
On May 1, U.S. President Donald J. Trump issued a warning on the social platform Truth Social, stating:
“Alert: All purchases of Iranian Oil or Petrochemical products must stop, NOW! Any country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions. They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form.”
Clearly, Georgian Dream attempts to downplay or hide relevant facts that show its collaborative stance toward a regime openly hostile to the United States.
- Guidance Published on Iranian Websites on How to Bypass Sanctions Using Georgia
Numerous Iranian online platforms openly discuss fraudulent schemes that allow Iranian businesses to circumvent international sanctions. According to these sources, Georgia offers a convenient route for Tehran to access Russian, Chinese, and even Western markets.
Examples from Iranian sources include:
- “A favorable environment has been created for Iranian traders: they can bring their products into Georgia and, by repackaging them under Georgian labels, export them to the EU or the U.S. without paying customs tariffs and at competitive prices.”
- “Iran can indeed circumvent U.S. restrictions and access global markets for various products by trading through Georgia. One of Georgia’s key advantages is its extensive network of trade agreements, particularly with Europe.”
Iranian websites further encourage business owners to take advantage of Georgia’s business environment:
- The Iranian company Arad Branding published an article advising:
“If you plan to trade with Georgia, we recommend first registering a company there, especially near ports. This significantly reduces costs and makes imports and exports smoother.”
Indeed, between 2013 and 2024, Iranian citizens registered nearly 9,300 companies in Georgia, illustrating the extent to which the Iranian regime exploits Georgia as a platform for its business operations.
Once again, we emphasize that this report is based exclusively on open sources and statistical data published by the National Statistics Office of Georgia. As before, Georgian Dream responds to factual, evidence-based criticism with its habitual tactic: launching disinformation campaigns and dismissing publicly available information as “fake news.”
