Iranians stagger under soaring costs of seven months of war
By John Davison and Emily Giles LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Iran's leaders may radiate bullishness in their war with the United States, but life is becoming ever tougher for ordinary citizens unable to afford basic necessities or rent as a US blockade cuts the state's financial lifeline - oil exports. From an engineer forced out of Tehran by high rent to a woman forced to stop smoking because of…
Iranian citizens are struggling under the weight of soaring living costs following seven months of conflict with the United States. The US blockade has crippled the state's main source of income - oil exports. The effects are felt across various aspects of daily life. A restaurant owner, Behnam Riazi, stated that he cannot raise his prices because his customers cannot afford to pay more.
An elderly housewife in northern Iran cannot afford medicine or necessities for her elderly mother who has Alzheimer's disease. A teacher, A.J., cannot afford the medicine his mother needs and has moved in with his mother and siblings. In Sanandaj, a psychotherapist has given up smoking due to the high cost. Those who can afford to use the black market find that the prices have increased even further.
The economic strain has led to concerns of unrest, prompting the Iranian leaders to crack down on dissent. The conflict has also resulted in job losses across the private sector, with many Iranians losing their jobs even though their contracts had only recently been renewed. Those who can afford it are moving to cheaper areas outside the capital.
The situation has led to a significant decrease in consumer spending, with shop owners reporting that their customers have reduced their purchases.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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