With Iran’s socio-economic crises worsening day after day, the Iranian state media have finally acknowledged how deep the country’s problems have become after concealing much of the reality of the unrest in Iranian society.
In the Setar-e Sobh daily on January 1, former MP of the Iranian regime, Parvaneh Salahshouri stated, “The current level of economic pressure on the people is unprecedented. We are now witnessing an increase in the population of vulnerable deciles in society.”
She spoke of the widening gap between the social classes and explained that due to the increase in economic pressure, many Iranians, around 85% of the population, are facing livelihood problems.
The Etemad daily stated in their January 1 publication, “The decline in population growth indicates the existence of a deep crisis in society, and this decline is a sign of a major crisis. A combination of poverty and despair has created such a problem.”
The same day, state-run Arman-e Meli daily put forward the point to the regime’s officials that they are unaware of the economic pressures on society, and do not have to face chronic unemployment so the policies that they are implementing are not beneficial to the majority of society.
The subsequent increase in inflation and skyrocketing prices that have resulted from the regime’s destructive policies and complete mismanagement of Iran’s crises ‘has made life harder for millions of people’. They also warned, “Sanctions and large embezzlement will not reform the country’s economy.”
The Hamdeli daily wrote on January 2 that the average cost of a worker’s food basket currently stands at 115 million rials a month, which many of them are simply unable to afford. While the inflation rates in 2021 have exceeded 45%, the wages have not be adjusted to match the increase in rates, leaving hundreds of thousands of Iranians struggling to get by.
They wrote, “According to estimates, in 2019, about 26 million Iranians lived below the poverty line. This number has certainly grown significantly in 2020 and 2021.”
An article in the Arman-e Meli daily on January 3 explained that the economic situation in Iran, as well as the environmental crises, have the Iranian regime to blame. From the politicians to the contractors and advisors, the Iranian government has financed all of these people who are making poor decisions and policies that are affecting millions of people across the country.
The regime’s four decades of institutionalized corruption, and the plundering of Iran’s national wealth has only brought misery for the citizens of Iran. While those at the top of the regime are living a life of luxury, the rest of Iranian society is fighting to survive as they fall further and further below the poverty line. Therefore, it is no wonder that people are taking to the streets in their droves to let their voices be heard by the very people who should be caring for them and protecting them.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said, “The country’s economic crunch has heightened society’s explosive state. The November 2019 uprising laid bare the Iranian people’s disdain toward the mullahs’ regime. Continuing protests since point to intensifying social volatility.”
