The Iranian regime’s state-run Kayhan daily, the mouthpiece of its supreme leader Ali Khamenei, recently wrote that the regime needs to deal with the enemy’s proxy media because they are pumping desperation and confusion into society.
In contrast, the reality of the situation is that the regime itself is pumping desperation and confusion into the society with the unbridled high prices of all commodities, the 12 million rial poverty line, and the increase in executions, as well as its repressive measures over the Iranian people.
To create a comprehensive conclusion of this reality, let us sum up the quotes of the regime’s officials and economic experts about the extreme poverty in Iran, which is creating despair across the country.
Farshad Momeni, one of the regime’s economic experts, said, “The population of the people below the poverty line has been doubled.”
The welfare deputy of the regime’s Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare stated, “Due to the increase of the prices, and the non-proportionate of the wages and the unemployment of two million people due to the pandemic, it has been estimated that until the end of this year the population of the people living below the poverty line will increase up to thirty million.”
Another of the regime’s economic experts, Morad Rahdadi, explained, “The proper wage of the family of four or the poverty line must be a least twelve million rial. If we count generally, you see that about seventy percent of the people live below the relative poverty line.”
Ebrahim Razaghi said, “Some of the numbers are concerning. As an example, the parliament has announced that sixty percent of the people live below the poverty line. Official numbers reveal that twenty to thirty million people live below the absolute poverty line.”
Finally, MP Ebrahim Neko expressed, “I believe that ninety percent of the people in Iran are engaged with poverty in different kinds. Even those who have an income of more than twelve million rials. But they are tasting poverty variously.”
With a comprehensive look at the increase in prices and poverty over the last year, the sheer reality of the situation becomes all too apparent. The price increases for everyday products, as percentages, are as follows: Iranian rice, 188%; liquid oil, 327.5%; solid vegetable oil, 285.8%; potatoes, 173.5%; pasta, 166%; watermelon, 20.1%; carbonated soft drinks, 20.2%; carrots, 20.8%; milk powder, 26%; mutton, 36.8%; beef, 51.1%; foreign rice, 56.5%; box of eggs, 102.6%; and finally, chicken, 103.7%.
Last year the poverty line was around ten million rials, but thanks to the regime’s new ‘Resistance economy’, it has reached now twelve million rials. As a result, close to thirty million people are now living in absolute poverty, while ninety percent of the population is struggling with livelihood problems.
