As the economic and social crises in Iran worsen day by day, the Iranian people are becoming increasingly frustrated with the situation and the Iranian regime and are on the verge of exploding into nationwide uprisings. Iran’s state media have stated that as the inflation rates rise, income inequality widens and unemployment levels worsen, society is being pushed further into poverty.
The Setareh Sobh daily said that the main cause of poverty in Iran is the skyrocketing inflation rates, which has seen prices jump from 55% to more than 100%. They also discussed how the increased inflation is a result of the regime printing banknotes in order to compensate for their budget deficit, and that the high rates of unemployment in Iran are due to the devaluation of the country’s currency.
They said, “Banknote printing increased the liquidity rate, and since the high volume of liquidity was much higher than the country’s production rate, the inflation rate increased dramatically.”
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said, “Due to the rising inflation rate and skyrocketing prices, people hardly make ends meet.”
The state-run Hamdeli daily wrote on Tuesday that psychologically, the Iranian society is becoming increasingly restless and angry. They said that according to Ali Asadi, the deputy director of the Ministry of Health’s Office of Mental Health, Social Affairs and Addiction, the amount of people in Iran struggling with mental disorders is around 15 million. Of those suffering, he said that 25% of people suffer from mental disorders, that 60% of people do not realise they have a mental illness and 40% refuse to see a doctor about their issues, despite realising that there is a problem.
Hamdeli said, “Recently, the Iranian Student Opinion Polling Center (ISPA) published the results of a poll that showed that about 59% of citizens have no hope for a better future for the country. In this poll, 28.8% also believed that the situation in the country will be worse next year.”
The NCRI said, “The rising number of suicides in Iran is a testament to the Iranian people’s unhappy life under the mullahs’ regime. The ongoing social and economic crises have indeed increased the people’s anger toward the regime.”
Mohammad Hassan Asafari, an MP within the regime, spoke out on Sunday, acknowledging that the ‘army of unemployed youth’ is a threat towards the regime and their system. He warned that the educated youths who have top degrees and qualifications but have yet to find suitable work are a threat to the country ‘if the parliament and the government fail to address this issue’.
The state-run Arman daily echoed the regime’s fear that the restless society will soon erupt and that the oppressive measures taken by the regime to subdue them will no longer work.
They said, “Officials should accept that people live in the heart of society. Therefore, they feel the existing realities with their skin, flesh, and bones and of course, their five senses. They know they will become poorer over time.”
