Iran News: Iran’s Economic Crisis Escalates as Officials Shift Blame Amidst Rising Prices
Written by
Mahmoud Hakamian
IRAN: Protesters in Karaj Chant: High Prices! Inflation! We Can Not Tolerate; Death to the Dictator
The ongoing economic turmoil in Iran has prompted state officials and affiliated experts to engage in a blame game, deflecting responsibility and cautioning about the potentially dire consequences of social unrest.
Reza Kangari, the head of the Foodstuff Bankers Union in Tehran Province, highlighted the escalation of prices in the new year during an interview with the state-run website Entekhab. Kangari said, “Despite only one month passing in 1403 [Iranian calendar], we have witnessed an increase in the prices of foodstuffs.”
He further elaborated, noting a consistent rise in costs year by year, attributing them to various automatic expenses impacting production. Kangari emphasized a recent 30% surge in food item prices over the past two weeks.
In discussions with the state news agency, ILNA, MP Masoud Pezeshkian placed the blame for the crisis on the economic policies of Ebrahim Raisi’s administration. He said, “They were supposed to control inflation, resolve the economic recession, stabilize the exchange rate, and even reduce the trend of prices. Well, what happened?”
Warning about the consequences for the regime, Pezeshkian added, “People are now under immense pressure, and they can only bear this pressure to a certain extent. Once that limit is exceeded and they can no longer afford to live, the only path forward is not a good one.”
While the regime’s officials and pundits blame sanctions as the mere source of Iran’s economic problems, state media acknowledged in recent days that the state corruption, mismanagement, and ineptitude, have ruined Iran’s economy.#IranRevoIution https://t.co/yhEvVxnTeb
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 1, 2023
Mohammad Mohajeri, a member of the editorial board of the news website Khabar Online, echoed similar sentiments on April 8, criticizing the government’s failure to control the crisis. Mohajeri remarked, “This government has broken records in promising and not fulfilling its promises, especially in the economic and foreign relations sectors. Most of the actions taken under the guise of promise fulfillment are more for show.”
Mohajeri also highlighted the deteriorating economic conditions, exemplified by the soaring dollar rates and the unstable situation of gold and currency markets.
Shahriar Heydari, a current member of parliament and disqualified candidate in the regime’s sham elections, considered the reshuffling of the cabinet as a necessary condition for Raisi to remain in office. Heydari lamented the lack of accountability regarding price hikes, with nobody willing to accept responsibility for the prevailing conditions.
Meanwhile, the regime’s former president Hassan Rouhani weighed in, attributing the blame to all factions within the regime. During a meeting with the editorial board of the newspaper Etemad, Rouhani asserted, “The current ruling groups lack a significant historical background and roots. Many of them did not even participate in the revolution.” He further criticized the concentration of power within these groups, stating they could essentially do whatever they wished.