Meeting of two dictators, Ali Khamenei and Nicolae Ceausescu in Romania

Economic discussions would follow, perhaps the most urgent agenda item for both sides. Ceaușescu might detail Romania's industrial capacity and its "successful" policy of paying off its foreign debt through severe austerity, a narrative designed to project strength rather than the economic catastrophe it truly was. Khamenei, facing an economy ravaged by war and sanctions, would inquire about potential trade routes, oil exports, or the acquisition of military technology, always with an eye towards reducing Iran's reliance on either superpower bloc. The conversation would likely be sterile, filled with official figures and optimistic projections, masking the deep structural problems plaguing both nations' economies.