Iran president says many struggling for food as war bites

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that many Iranians are struggling to put food on the table as the economic pressure from the ongoing war with the United States intensifies. In his speech, Pezeshkian highlighted the food insecurity caused by the wartime conditions, stating that "there are many people in this society who are struggling to put food on the table because of the war we have found ourselves in, because of the wartime conditions we are living under."

The conflict began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other high-ranking military officials. In response, Iran retaliated by targeting US assets in the region, Israel, and restricting passage through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy supplies.

The US responded by imposing a blockade on Iranian ports, limiting the country's oil exports and trade. Although a ceasefire deal mediated by Pakistan in mid-June was intended to end the conflict and facilitate broader negotiations, it was soon abandoned, with both sides blaming each other for breaching its terms. Since then, the US has conducted sporadic attacks on Iranian targets, while Iran has retaliated by targeting vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, accusing them of violating conditions set by Tehran for safe passage.

Pezeshkian called for an end to the ongoing "state of neither war nor peace," urging Tehran to emerge from the situation without specifying how. The US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, expressed the possibility of resuming strikes on Iran as early as this weekend, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards spokesman declared the armed forces prepared to respond to any new attack, warning that Iran would retaliate with a significantly greater response even if the enemy only takes limited action.