Hossein Abdeh Tabrizi, an economist and professor at Sharif University, warned about the emergence of a “super-crisis” in the energy sector, stating, “We might reach a point where we have electricity only three days a week, or gasoline for two days, with work stopping on the remaining days.”
In response to a question by the state-run website Eghtesad100 regarding the root cause of the energy imbalance, Abdeh Tabrizi emphasized, “Raising electricity prices does not necessarily solve the problem, nor is it the starting point.”
According to Abdeh Tabrizi, the standard of living will decline even further from its current state. He stressed, “The issue is not that continuing on this trajectory will maintain the status quo; we might even reach a point where we have electricity only three days a week or gasoline for two days, and no work is done on the other days. Our healthcare standards may worsen, and universities may become even weaker.”
Warnings about the worsening imbalances, including in the energy sector and even in wages compared to household expenses, are considered overdue by experts. Many believe the situation has already surpassed the warning stage.
Meanwhile, the Pezeshkian administration, in its initial months, attempted to manage the economy primarily by raising prices, a strategy many experts believe has worsened people’s living conditions.
In this regard, on Sunday, December 22, during a meeting of the “Market Regulation Task Force,” the regime’s Vice President Mohammadreza Aref stated, “Some price increases are global, and we have no choice but to adjust prices.”
Mohammadreza Aref also claimed, “We will make necessary price adjustments while preserving the livelihood of the masses.”
However, the prevailing trends—such as the rise in the dollar’s exchange rate, uncontrolled increases in food prices, rising electricity and gas tariffs, and the impending increase in gasoline prices—are entirely inconsistent with the Vice President’s claims about safeguarding the livelihood of the masses.
