When news broke last summer that international sanctions against Iran were set to be lifted, it sparked a wave of interest in the country's potential that only intensified in the months that followed. Speculation was rife about the flood of investment that may lie ahead, particularly from Western Europe, and the bountiful possibilities that lay in wait across multiple markets. Such suppositions intensified in January, with confirmation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of Iran's compliance with a deal to monitor its current and future nuclear capabilities. The agency affirmed the expected lifting of sanctions and described the development as 'an important day for the international community'. The news had been expected to officially start a deluge of investment in the country, triggering the sale of Iran's oil internationally and unlocking an estimated more than $100bn in frozen assets. Five months on, however, and talk of Iran and the expected 'gold rush' of investment seems to have slowed or been kicked into the long grass by the emergence of many other global crises/events.
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