The Iranian government has, through warmongering, terrorism, and institutionalized corruption, destroyed the country’s economy, leaving 80% of Iranians in poverty.
The mullahs falsely claim that sanctions are the issue, but recently economists linked to the officials and the state-run media have publically rejected this.
An Iranian economist Farshad Momeni said Friday: “Improper and ill-considered decision-making methods have faced the country with a lot of corruption and inefficiencies. It is safe to say those wrong policies that create inflation since they are anti-production and based on injustice are roots of all small and big problems of Iran’s economy.”
These policies, including the “exchange rate control plan” and “housing constructions”, have lost hundreds of billions of dollars since 1990. Momeni estimates a total of $730 billion have been lost from these two policies alone.
Meanwhile, the state-run media has been focusing on the problems that the economic collapse have caused to the working class, which is much worse than the general population.
Alireza Heidari, Vice President of the Union of Veterans of the Working Society, said Saturday: “Security has been taken away from the working class in various areas. Workers are now concerned about how they can live and earn a living under the current conditions, given the rampant inflation and declining purchasing power. Livelihoods are a major concern that has plagued the working-class community over the past few years, both those employed and retired. They have a pessimistic view of their future living conditions.”
He was talking to the ILNA news agency, which further reported that the government’s “parametric reform” plan for calculating pensions is just a way to reduce the pensions and benefits. Indeed, this is what retirees from all over the country have been protesting every week since January, calling for their pension to rise with inflation so that they can actually afford to live.
The state-run Eghtesad-e Pouya explained at the beginning of the month that the increase in the cost of housing, meat, and oil promises that the workers will have an emptier table in the coming year than ever before, especially because of those who have lost their job amid the Covid-19 outbreak that disproportionately affects low-income people.
One of the MP’s Malek Shariati attacking Rouhani’s government on May 18 said: “The creators of the current situation, especially in the country’s economy, can in no way claim to reform and solve the country’s problems.”
Referring to the registration of members of the Rouhani government for the presidential election, he added: “Most of these people do not have an acceptable record and it is strange that in their speeches they say ‘they are looking to improve the current situation and solve the problems of the country.’”
Finally he added: “Inflation crossed the 50 percent mark and broke the country’s 75-year record, indicating the weakness of the government’s economic team.” (State-run news agency Mehr, May 18, 2021)
Another MP, Behzad Rahimi attacked Rouhani because of the dire economic situation and said: “Mr. President, the people have been crushed under the wheel of your recklessness in the political, social and especially economic spheres, but you are thinking about the color of your beard. Mr. Rouhani, you did not have mercy on the unemployed and frustrated youth who came and joined to your stock market with thousands of hopes and aspirations and with your Excellency’s propaganda, and you are mocking these young people by robbing them of thousands of billions of Tomans of capital.” (ICANA, May 16, 2021)
The Iranian Resistance wrote: “The aforementioned facts show why Iranians from all walks of life chant in their protests, ‘our enemy is right here; they lie it is the US’. The regime’s destructive actions have turned the society into a powder keg, prompting state-run media to warn officials of an uprising.”
