There is immense pressure on Iranian people nowadays because of the coronavirus pandemic and the dire state of the economy, both of which are down to the authorities’ mismanagement, which means that most people are unable to afford even the most basic food items.
“With the rising price of chicken in the last twenty days, the consumption of chicken legs, gizzard, and liver has increased threefold. Buying chicken is beyond the purchasing power of a high percentage of the population,” said the head of the Poultry and Fish Traders Association Mehdi Youssef Khani.
Indeed, chicken consumption decreased by 70 percent and many are forced to buy the parts of the bird that are usually thrown away, like the three examples noted above. Like all basic goods, the cost of chicken has skyrocketed recently.
Tasnim news agency reported last month that milk, butter, oil, and meat have all increased and that the government is still issuing the permission to raise the cost of goods, while the spokesperson of the Dairy Industry Association, Mohammad Reza Bani Taba, said the cost of milk would increase by 50 percent.
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Why Are Goods Too High in Prices?
Well, mullahs’ are increasing costs in order to cover their budget deficit, but they are also scared that this will cause retaliations from the people, like what happened in the November 2019 uprising, which began over the tripling of fuel prices overnight. Many of the increases now are being increased secretly, incrementally, and through using confusing tactics, such as increasing flour costs and reducing bakery quotas to justify the rising price of bread.
What Are the Officials Saying?
Despite all this, President Hassan Rouhani still claims that he is in control of these rising costs, to which one could reasonably say “in control of increasing prices”.
While Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has, in complete contradiction, said that people’s livelihoods are “dire” right now and that there is no justification for price increases, but make no mistake, he does not care for people’s lives.
After all, he could well do something to change this by ordering the prices are cut, given that he is the most powerful figure in Iran and that he oversees a vast economic empire worth hundreds of billions of dollars. He is only concerned about preventing the people from getting angry and coming out to protest, which could well see the downfall of his regime.
All of the agencies overseen, either directly or indirectly, by Khamenei has increased prices. Take for example the “market regulation task force,” which increased the costs of 20 basic goods in one day.
“The only valuable argument for these insane skyrocketing prices of basic goods is that the regime has a corrupt and broken economy in hands of looting officials in power. The real problem lays in the mullahs’ establishment. As long as they are in power, people’s misery and suffering will continue,” the Iranian Resistance wrote.
