Home Blog Page 55

What Happened on the Fourth Day of Protests in Iran?

Mehdi Hosseini
-
0
What Happened on the Fourth Day of Protests in Iran?

Nationwide protests by citizens continued into their fourth day on Wednesday, December 31. On this day, people gathered in the cities of Kuhdasht in Lorestan province, Isfahan, Kermanshah, and Fasa in Fars province. In some cities, security forces opened fire on citizens.

In Fasa, citizens held a protest gathering, stormed the city’s governorate building, and lit fires in the street in front of it.

Protesters in this city also chanted slogans such as “Death to the dictator” and “Death to Khamenei.”

Videos and reports published on social media indicate that repressive forces directly fired at protesting people in Fasa. At least one person was injured in the shooting.

On Wednesday afternoon, similar reports were published of regime forces firing at citizens during a protest gathering in the city of Kuhdasht.

Protesters in the city of Kermanshah also held a protest gathering on December 31 and chanted slogans such as “Death to the dictator.” In Isfahan, a gathering also took place in Naqsh-e Jahan Square.

Reports have also been published of a heavy security atmosphere and the deployment of regime forces and water cannon vehicles in various parts of Tehran, including Valiasr Street.

Call by students of Kurdistan University and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

Reports indicate that there has been a call by a group of students from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad to hold a protest gathering on Wednesday, December 31.

In part of their statement they said that they, the students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, are heirs to the ideals of freedom and resistance.

They statement emphasized that the university is not a place for fear, and students will not be mere spectators. Protest is our right, sit-ins are our tool, and resistance is our path. The younger generation does not accept injustice and will not surrender the future at the price of fear.

The students from the University of Kurdistan, while supporting the nationwide uprising of the people of Iran, have called for a protest gathering on Wednesday, December 31.

While calling themselves as the children of the rugged and brave mountains of Iran, they will take to the street for their rights, freedom, and a just future. And added that they will uproot the foundations of this corrupt system. Silence in the face of oppression and corruption is no longer acceptable. Our voice will echo throughout Iran.

Regime security forces tried to arrest the students in Mashhad using Irancell and Hamrah-e Aval vans

Following the publication of the call by Ferdowsi University of Mashhad for a gathering, bus services on some routes were suspended.

Iran: People in Fasa Rally in Front of Governor’s Office, Security Forces Open Fire on Protesters

Regime security forces have been deployed with vans disguised as those of mobile operators “Irancell” and “Hamrah-e Aval” around Janbaz Square and Park Roundabout in Mashhad to transport forces and arrest protesters.

Reports indicate that the regime’s plainclothes forces are moving around the city in groups of four to five, wearing high-top sneakers—an action that, according to local sources, is intended to prevent identification and remote attacks on security vehicles.

Global reactions to the ongoing protests in Iran continue

The Persian-language account of the U.S. Department of State on X expressed concern about intimidation, violence, and the arrest of peaceful protesters and emphasized that the Islamic Republic must end the repression of the people.

Germany’s Bild newspaper, in a report on the protests in Iran, described the retreat of repressive forces in the face of protesters as highly meaningful.

The German newspaper wrote that images of protesters pushing back security forces are symbolically very meaningful because they reveal the weaknesses of Iran’s regime for the first time—images that are usually unimaginable in Iran.

Der Spiegel magazine also referred to the causes of the protests in Iran, writing that finding a solution to the problems will not be easy and that, in the view of observers, the regime’s options are limited.

Chosun Daily, one of South Korea’s oldest and most widely circulated newspapers, also addressed the protests in Iran and strikes by bazaar merchants, writing that protests that began with Iran’s economic crisis have gone beyond urban centers and spread to university environments.

India Today, a major Indian media outlet, reported on the echoing of the slogan “The mullahs must go” in cities across Iran.

Iran: People in Fasa Rally in Front of Governor’s Office, Security Forces Open Fire on Protesters

Sia Rajabi
-
0
Iran: People in Fasa Rally in Front of Governor’s Office, Security Forces Open Fire on Protesters

On the fourth day of nationwide protests in Iran, this morning people in Fasa County, in Fars Province, staged a large-scale protest. It is reported that Iranian regime security forces open fire on protesters.

It is said that this morning Fasa came under the control of the people; the widespread presence of citizens forced Iranian regime security forces to retreat.

Also, according to reports received, people in Mashhad joined the protests at Atlas Market.

The Iranian regime is attempting to control the situation by deploying military helicopters. Today’s protests continued in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, and university students also resumed their demonstrations. At Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, students chanted “Death to the dictator.”

Call for a gathering by University of Kurdistan students in support of the nationwide protests

The Amir Kabir Newsletter reported that a group of University of Kurdistan students, while supporting the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people, have called for a gathering on Wednesday, December 31.

The call states: «We are the children of the steadfast and brave mountains of Iran’s land; we will take to the میدان for our rights, for our freedom, and for a just future. »

Another part of the call states: «We rise up to uproot the foundations of this corrupt system. Silence in the face of oppression and corruption is no longer permissible. Our voice will resonate throughout all of Iran. »

Amid the protests and uprising of people in Tehran and other cities, the Iranian regime announced that on Wednesday, December 31, 25 provinces will be closed.

Some of these provinces include Tehran, Hamedan, Kermanshah, Yazd, Lorestan, Kurdistan, Kerman, Isfahan, Gilan, Khuzestan, and Hormozgan.

Protests in Iran Spread to More Sectors and Cities on the Third Day

Esmaeil Mohades
-
0
Protests in Iran Spread to More Sectors and Cities on the Third Day

On the third day of protests by bazaar merchants in response to the dire economic situation, shopkeepers in various cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Ahvaz, Shiraz, Kermanshah, and Najafabad, closed their shops and held protest gatherings.

Following calls issued by student organizations and activists, students in various cities across the country, including Tehran, Isfahan, and Yazd, joined the wave of protests on Tuesday, December 30.

Bazaar Protests Expand to Various Parts of Tehran and Other Cities in Iran

Students at the University of Tehran, pointing to the security siege around the campus, called on citizens to move toward the University of Tehran so that students could join the public.

Protesters at their gatherings chanted slogans including “Death to the dictator,” “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, I sacrifice my life for Iran,” “Death to the principle of Velayat-e Faqih,” and “Death to this high cost of living, we will go until overthrow.”

Protesting citizens in Kermanshah and on Jomhouri Street in Tehran stood their ground against repression forces and pushed the suppressors back.

Students at Yazd University also chanted “Neither threats nor prison have any effect anymore” on Tuesday evening, December 30.

Videos published on social media show that security forces fired tear gas and pellet bullets at protesters in Tehran’s bazaar. Special unit forces have arrested at least eleven protesting citizens in the Shoush area of Tehran.

Videos published on social media show that demonstrators gathered in the streets of Kermanshah, including around the traditional bazaar, and expressed their protests against rising prices, currency exchange rate fluctuations, and livelihood problems.

The internal security situation of the Iranian regime has reached a critical threshold, as scattered economic grievances are converging with broader political disobedience. According to this report, the current pattern of urban unrest indicates the formation of a link between the bazaar middle class and wider segments of dissatisfied society. The continuation of this situation could lead to the formation of a general uprising.

Iran’s ‘No To Executions Tuesdays’ Campaign Marks Week 101 In 55 Prisons

Sia Rajabi
-
0
Iran’s ‘No To Executions Tuesdays’ Campaign Marks Week 101 In 55 Prisons

The one hundred and first week of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign is continuing with hunger strikes by prisoners in fifty-five prisons across Iran. This number, beyond a simple statistic, has become a symbol of steadfastness, courage, and belief in human dignity. One hundred and one weeks of resistance under harsh and exhausting conditions shows that even in the narrowest prison wards, the flame of hope can be kept alive and the voice of justice-seeking cannot be silenced.

The full text of the statement of the one hundred and first week of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign is as follows:

At Least 1,922 Executions in Iran in 2025, Nearly Double Compared to 2024

Continuation of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign in its one hundred and first week in fifty-five different prisons, coinciding with strikes and protests by Tehran’s bazaar merchants

The “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign extends its congratulations on Chirstmas and the New Year to all Christians and wishes freedom and liberation for all our compatriots who are subjected to repression and oppression by the ruling religious dictatorship in our country. In the words of Jesus Christ:

“And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul.” KJV

As we enter the one hundred and first No To Executions Tuesday, Tehran’s bazaar merchants have, since Sunday, December 28, launched strikes and protests against the injustice and oppression of the regime. These protests have taken on broad dimensions and have spread to some other cities as well.

In these critical days, the executioner government, in order to prevent the escalation of popular uprisings, has intensified repression and executions. In recent days, it has issued the inhuman death sentences of two Kurdish political prisoners, Mehrab Abdollahzadeh in Urmia Prison and Younes Bakhshi in Mahabad Prison. Since December 22, it has executed more than 96 people, including one imprisoned woman, in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

While expressing gratitude and appreciation to all the families and supporters who backed the one hundredth week of this campaign, the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign calls for greater support for the “No to the Death Penalty” campaign, so that the blade of repression and execution may be blunted more and more, and the groundwork for abolishing the inhuman death sentence may be prepared.

Political prisoners who are members of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign are on hunger strike on Tuesday, December 30, during the one hundred and first week, in fifty-five prisons across the country.

Bazaar Protests Expand to Various Parts of Tehran and Other Cities in Iran

Hoshang Amiri
-
0
Bazaar Protests Expand to Various Parts of Tehran and Other Cities in Iran

According to reports published on social media, protest gatherings and strikes by bazaar merchants in Tehran spread to various parts of the capital on their second day.

The striking merchants chanted protest slogans during their Monday, December 29, gatherings, including “Death to the dictator,” “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran,” “The bazaar merchant may die but will not accept humiliation,” and “This homeland will not become a homeland until the mullah is shrouded.”

Subsequently, chants of “This year is the year of blood, Seyed Ali will be overthrown” were heard among the protesters.

Tehran Bazaar Shopkeepers Stage Protests in Response to Surge in Foreign Currency Prices

Reports indicate that merchants and shopkeepers halted their business activities and held protest gatherings in bazaars and commercial centers, including Chaharsouq, the Gold Bazaar, Alaeddin Mall (a major electronics shopping center in Tehran), Charsou Commercial Complex, Delavaran Furniture Market, Jafari Bazaar, Shoush Market, the Grand Bazaar of Tehran, Amin Hozour Market, and Bagh-e Sepahsalar.

At the same time, the scope of these protests extended to streets and main urban thoroughfares.

The protests then spread to squares, intersections, and other areas of Tehran.

As the protests expanded, reports indicated that security and law enforcement forces were deployed in front of Tehran’s City Theater, a major cultural landmark.

At the same time, the state-run Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that the gathering of shopkeepers and bazaar merchants continued from Lalehzar Street to Istanbul Square.

In some other Iranian cities, including Karaj, citizens protesting the dire economic situation and fluctuations in the foreign exchange market also held gatherings.

Videos and reports published from Karaj and Tehran show that Iranian regime security forces clashed with protesting citizens in many areas.

In some areas of Tehran, including Kargar Street and Bagh-e Sepahsalar, forces used tear gas against protesting shopkeepers.

Yesterday as well, shopkeepers at the Alaeddin Mobile Mall, the Charsou Commercial Complex, and the Shoush Iron Market protested by closing their shops in response to the rise in the dollar exchange rate and called on other merchants to join the strike.

Iran’s Suffers from Negative GDP Growth in First Half of Persian Year

Mehdi Hosseini
-
0
Iran’s Suffers from Negative GDP Growth in First Half of Persian Year

Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that according to the latest figures released by the Central Bank, gross domestic product growth in the first six months of the current year (from March 21 to September 22, 2025) once again entered negative territory, with economic growth including oil recorded at minus 0.6% and excluding oil at minus 0.8%.

The outlet wrote on Sunday, December 28, that among the main economic sectors, agriculture experienced negative growth of 2.9% and the industries and mining group recorded negative growth of 3.4%.

Price Of Dollar and Gold Surge to Unprecedented Levels in Iran

Tasnim emphasized that these figures stem from the continued recession in industrial production, energy constraints, declining investment, and rising cost pressures.

In recent months, intensified international sanctions, alongside the regime’s structural inefficiency and escalating energy and water crises, have placed heavy pressure on the country’s productive sectors, particularly agriculture and industry.

These conditions have led to a rising exchange rate and higher prices for essential goods, severely straining people’s livelihoods.

The state-run Mehr News Agency reported on November 30 that due to drought last year, wheat production in the country declined by more than 30%.

The decline in agricultural output has occurred alongside rising prices of products, including the price of bread.

Iran’s Statistical Center had previously announced that point-to-point inflation reached 52.6% in December, indicating an increase of 3.2% compared to November.

The officially announced inflation rate, due to the weighting factors applied by the Statistical Center to consumer groups, is viewed by many citizens and experts as not reflecting market realities.

Deepening recession in the construction sector

Tasnim further reported that six-month growth in the construction sector fell to minus 12.9%, indicating a deep and unprecedented recession in this sector.

This comes as, according to Tasnim, the construction sector is regarded as the “engine of employment and a driver for many industries.”

Quoting experts, the news agency wrote: “The sharp decline in construction is the result of a combination of reduced purchasing power, higher costs of construction inputs, high financing rates, and uncertainty about the future of the economy; factors that could continue to negatively affect economic growth.”

On October 13, the Research Center of Iran’s regime parliament, referring to falling behind the targets set in the country’s macroeconomic plans, announced that estimated growth in the first six months of the year (from March 21 to September 22, 2025) stood at minus 0.3%.

Positive growth in the oil sector

Tasnim went on to write that the oil group managed to record positive growth of 1.1% in the first six months of the year.

The IRGC-affiliated outlet added: “Although this growth is positive, it has not been able to offset the negative impact of other sectors.”

Donald Trump, the president of the United States, less than two weeks after taking office, resumed a new campaign of the “maximum pressure” policy against the Iranian regime that he had launched during his first term in the White House.

In just the first 100 days, his administration imposed a total of 17 rounds of sanctions related to the Iranian regime, targeting 40 individuals, 117 companies and entities, and 77 oil tankers.

These sanctions continued thereafter, and in the latest case, on December 18, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned 29 vessels as well as the companies operating them for their involvement in circumventing Iran oil sanctions.

The Trump administration’s actions in expanding sanctions against the Iranian regime have sharply increased the costs for Tehran of evading sanctions.

Over the past three months, Iran’s oil exports have remained at around two million barrels per day, although the United States has sought to limit Iran’s oil exports to 100,000 barrels per day, an effort that appears to have so far been unsuccessful.

Tehran Bazaar Shopkeepers Stage Protests in Response to Surge in Foreign Currency Prices

Sia Rajabi
-
0
Tehran Bazaar Shopkeepers Stage Protests in Response to Surge in Foreign Currency Prices

Some shopkeepers at the Alaeddin Mobile Market, a well-known electronics mall in central Tehran, and the Charsou Commercial Complex protested the rise in the price of the U.S. dollar by closing their shops. Videos shared on social media show a tense atmosphere around Hafez Bridge, a major overpass in central Tehran.

From around the afternoon of Sunday, December 28, videos circulated on social media showing shopkeepers at the Alaeddin Mall beginning their protest from inside the complex after shutting their stores, chanting slogans such as “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid / we are all together.”

Iran’s Point-To-Point Inflation Surpassed 52% In December

Other videos show the shopkeepers leaving the mall and moving toward Hafez Bridge at the intersection of Jomhuri Street and Hafez Street in Tehran.

At the same time, other videos were published showing similar protests by shopkeepers at the Charsou Commercial Complex, located opposite the Alaeddin Mall.

The rise in the price of the dollar, which directly affects all sectors of Iran’s economy, has accelerated sharply over the past month. At the same time as the protests at the Alaeddin Mall, the price of one U.S. dollar in the free market surpassed 1.44 million rials.

Yesterday, December 27, each U.S. dollar was trading at 1.37 million rials, while one month earlier on the same day, the free-market price was 1.14 million rials per dollar.

This is while a worker’s base monthly wage barely reaches 115 dollars.

In recent months, runaway inflation and the rising value of foreign currencies have intensified concerns about the deterioration of Iran’s economic conditions.

Price Of Dollar and Gold Surge to Unprecedented Levels in Iran

Over the past year, the prices of food items in Iran have increased by an average of more than 66%. Even official sources have confirmed the uncontrolled rise in prices in Iran.

The Statistical Center of Iran, a state-run body, reported on December 27 that the country’s point-to-point inflation rate had exceeded 52%.

Iran Has Become the Record Holder for Soil Erosion

Esmaeil Mohades
-
0
Iran Has Become the Record Holder for Soil Erosion

Hadi Kiadaliri, the vice president of the Iran Forestry Association, criticized prevailing approaches to development, food security, the water crisis, and forest protection, stating that Iran has reached the highest level of soil erosion and has become the record holder for this crisis.

Kiadaliri said in an interview with the state-run ISNA news agency on Sunday, December 28, that according to the findings of a study, “50% of oil revenues” must be spent annually solely on restoring soil fertility in the Zagros region.

He added that between 2004 and 2020, 3.6 million hectares were added to orchard and rain-fed agricultural lands, meaning that nearly 500 hectares of rangelands and forests were destroyed every day.

Every Year, Tens of Thousands of Hectares of Land in Iran Become Degraded

The vice president of the Forestry Association emphasized: “Agriculture in a country where about 93% of the land is arid and semi-arid cannot carry the burden of development, but we have done this, and to achieve it, we have converted many natural resource lands into farmland.”

In recent months, the Iranian regime’s policies on water, agriculture, and industry and their widespread consequences across the country, including environmental damage and direct impacts on people’s livelihoods, have drawn increased attention.

In November, Roozbeh Eskandari, an environmental researcher, warned in an article that Iran is facing a negative water balance of about 130 billion cubic meters, and that the continuation of the current situation has led to soil erosion, a drinking water supply crisis, the drying up of rivers and wetlands, the spread of dust storms, and an accelerated process of desertification and uninhabitability of the land.

Referring to the “failure of the Iranian regime in environmental governance,” he added that in the government’s view, water is not regarded as a vital element and part of the land’s ecological cycle, but rather as an economic resource and a tool for expanding agriculture and industry.

“We defined food security incorrectly”

The vice president of the Forestry Association said in the continuation of the interview: “We used as much water as we could for agricultural development. As a result, we defined food security incorrectly; because food security is not merely about the abundance of food, its availability, and its safety, but environmental resilience is also part of this concept.”

Kiadaliri, criticizing about 70 years of exploitation of resources in northern Iran, added: “At one time, we were fighting to implement the forest rest plan. One of the members of parliament said people are poor and forests must be exploited. My question was why people are still poor after decades of exploitation?”

He emphasized that achieving sustainable development through environmental destruction is not possible, and that the experience of developed countries has shown that with compatible policies, both can be achieved simultaneously.

According to the vice president of the Forestry Association, the concept of “economic development,” in addition to economic growth, pays attention to sustainability, wealth distribution, combating poverty, and improving quality of life.

On December 6, Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran’s regime, ordered the official launch of operations for the water transfer project from the Persian Gulf to Iran’s central plateau.

At the time, experts warned about the ecological, economic, and hydrological consequences of the project and described it as a “temporary bandage” on the wound of Iran’s water bankruptcy.

Earlier in November, the publication “Payam-e Ma” wrote, referring to the government’s decision to accelerate the construction of three large dams on the central plateau, that the move lacks environmental permits and contributes to the worsening of the water crisis.

At Least 1,922 Executions in Iran in 2025, Nearly Double Compared to 2024

Mehdi Hosseini
-
0
At Least 1,922 Executions in Iran in 2025, Nearly Double Compared to 2024

The Iran Human Rights Monitor (iran-hrm), a human rights website, reported in its new annual report that in 2025 at least 1,956 people were executed in prisons across Iran, representing a 97% increase compared to the previous year. According to the report, among those executed, 10 people were put to death in public, in front of onlookers.

These statistics cover the period from January 1, 2025, to December 20, 2025.

The report states that during this period, in addition to those executed, at least 168 people were sentenced to death by Iran’s regime judiciary, and the death sentences of at least 56 individuals were upheld by the Supreme Court.

Over 400 Global Figures Urge Halt to Execution of Iranian Political Prisoner

It also notes that two individuals who were under 18 years old at the time of the alleged offense, legally referred to as juvenile offenders, were among those executed this year.

According to the Iran Human Rights Monitor, 40% of those executed in Iran in 2025 were charged with “murder,” and 50% were executed on charges related to “narcotics.”

In 2025, the highest shares of carried-out executions were, respectively, in Alborz Province, which hosts two of the country’s most crowded prisons, with 10.87%; Khorasan Razavi with 8.22%; Isfahan with 7.70%; Fars with 6.92%; and Lorestan with 4.89%.

In terms of prisons carrying out executions, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, and Dizelabad Prison in Kermanshah were at the top of execution figures during this period.

Unprecedented execution figures over the past 11 years

Execution statistics over the past 11 years show that the number of executions declined from 2015 to 2020, but rose again from 2021 onward, reaching its highest level in 2025.

This significant increase highlights serious concerns regarding the human rights situation and the intensification of executions in Iran.

The Iran Human Rights Monitor says that 95% of executions were carried out secretly, meaning without announcement in official or domestic media, and only 5% were reported by media outlets or internal institutions.

The relentless increase in the issuance, confirmation, and implementation of death sentences in Iran in recent months has drawn widespread attention from international bodies and has been accompanied by protests inside and outside the country.

Iranian Political Prisoner Ehsan Rostami Faces Risk of Execution

On December 18, the United Nations General Assembly adopted its annual resolution on the human rights situation in Iran with 78 votes in favor. Earlier, on November 19, the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly had adopted a resolution condemning human rights violations in Iran with 79 votes in favor, a text that this year placed broader emphasis on executions, women’s rights, the suppression of protesters, and transnational repression.

Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, stated on October 30 at a meeting of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly that Iran’s regime, by carrying out widespread executions, has embarked on a path of “crimes against humanity.”

Protests and strikes in Iran

According to a report by the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a human rights news website, in 2025 at least 2,606 protests and strikes took place, including 2,174 protest gatherings, 407 labor strikes, and 25 professional strikes across various sectors of the country.

Among the recorded gatherings, 813 were labor protests, most of them related to wage demands, and in 40 cases workers were prevented from holding their protests.

HRANA also reported 940 professional protests and five cases in which such gatherings were prevented, writing that the main focus of these protests was wage demands by professional groups, اعتراض to economic conditions, and objections to the inefficient management of state institutions of the Islamic Republic.

In recent years, retirees, workers, and pensioners have repeatedly held protests and marches in various cities across Iran over the failure to fulfill their demands.

The livelihood conditions of these groups have led to a significant increase in the number of professional protests and demonstrations.

Iran’s Point-To-Point Inflation Surpassed 52% In December

Mehdi Hosseini
-
0
Iran’s Point-To-Point Inflation Surpassed 52% In December

At the same time as the worsening economic situation in Iran, point-to-point inflation in December reached 52.6%, indicating an increase of 3.2% compared to November.

The Statistical Center of Iran, a state-run body under Iran’s regime, reported on Saturday, December 27, that the average annual inflation rate in December also reached 42.2%.

This figure reflects the average increase in the prices of goods and services over the 12 months ending in December compared to the same period the previous year, showing a 1.8% increase compared to November.

Iran’s ‘One-Time Exporters’ Failed to Return 93% Of Their Foreign Currency Export Revenues

The Consumer Price Index rose by 4.2% on a monthly basis, reaching 435.1 points. Inflationary pressure on lower-income deciles also remained higher than on higher-income deciles.

Point-to-point inflation in December was reported at 72% for the food, beverages, and tobacco group, and 43% for non-food goods and services.

At the end of December, the annual inflation rate was also 50% for the food, beverages, and tobacco group, and 38.3% for non-food goods and services.

Additionally, monthly inflation for milk, cheese, and eggs was reported at 10.2%, and monthly inflation in the bread sector at 7.7%.

The officially announced inflation rate, due to the weighting coefficients applied by the Statistical Center to consumption groups, is considered by many citizens and experts not to reflect market realities.

Moreover, the sampling used by this center to calculate inflation is based on reports of average commodity prices in the market, which themselves differ from reality.

The sharp increase in point-to-point inflation can be one of the early signs or precursors of hyperinflation, as it reflects an accelerating pace of price growth.

According to the standard definition, hyperinflation occurs when monthly inflation exceeds 50%, or in other words, when prices rise by more than 1% per day.

Under such conditions, if monthly inflation reaches 50% and persists, annual point-to-point inflation can rise to thousands of percent.

Runaway Price Increases and the Shadow of Hyperinflation Over Iran’s Economy

Accordingly, if the 50% monthly inflation recorded in December this year were to continue, the annual point-to-point inflation rate would reach around 13,000%.

Hossein Abdeh Tabrizi, an economist and former secretary general of the Tehran Stock Exchange, warned on December 23 that if 60% inflation is repeated next year and the budget does not remain within its announced framework, the country will enter a phase of dollarization.

According to him, at this stage inflation could suddenly jump from 60% to 3,000%.

In recent months, especially after the activation of the snapback mechanism and the return of United Nations sanctions, citizens have reported daily price increases, saying that even if they shop again after just a few days, they have to buy goods at higher prices.

Experts have warned that the continuation of the unprecedented rise in food and essential commodity prices in Iran could lead to serious consequences, including harm to public health, the spread of malnutrition, and intensified psychological pressure on society.

1...545556...3,803Page 55 of 3,803