Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 21/ Trend , D. Ibrahimova, T. Jafarov/ \
Experts say the Iranian government's intention to ban foreign goods made by companies that cooperate with Israel will further isolate the country's economy.
Iranian religious leader Said Ali Khamenei prohibited the country's citizens from using products made by companies cooperating with "Islam's enemy - Israel," the Fars news agency reported.
Iranian citizens are prohibited from using products from over 100 companies, including Calvin Klein, Estee Lauder, Domestos, Pringles, Pantene Pro-V, Nokia, IBM, CNN, Puma and Philip Morris.
"Iran's decision [to boycott foreign goods] will only serve to further its [country's economic] isolation in the international community," financial expert and California University Professor Sarkis Khoury wrote Trend in an email.
On Dec. 31, the Iranian parliament passed a bill banning the import of goods produced by foreign companies that Tehran believes cooperate with Israel. The move was a protest against the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip.
Israeli ground troops launched military operations against Palestinian insurgents in Gaza for three weeks, which were preceded by a week-long intensive bombing. The hostilities in Gaza claimed at least 1,300 lives and injured 5,000, one third of whom were children. Israel's death toll was 13 people, BBC reported.
Experts say Iran cannot boycott the import and use of foreign goods.
It would be possible to impose a ban on the import of a single company's goods, but it is unrealistic to boycott the goods of each and every company cooperating with Israel as Iran cannot affort to ruin relations with all of them at the same time, French economic expert of Iranian origin Freidoun Khavand said.
Foreign goods cannot be boycotted as Iran has no way to substitute them, he added.
Iran cannot find a substitute for specific goods and high-tech products, such as computer equipment made by companies partially owned by Israel, former advisor at Iran's Central Bank Bijan Bidabad told Trend in a telephone conversation.
He said baning foreign goods will not harm these business as the Iranian market is still small.
Such a boycott is neither wise nor fair, and will end up hurting Iranian consumers, Khoury said.
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