Despite their rivalry for more power, state officials and the media issue genuine warnings when it comes to “preserving the system at any cost.”The ongoing protests in Iran by people from all walks of life are the most visible manifestation of a volatile society. Describing Iranians’ current situation as miserable falls far short of the true disaster they face.
Since becoming the regime’s president in a sham election in 2021, Ebrahim Raisi and his ministers have made hollow promises and bogus claims about their “achievements,” but they have failed to twist the hard truth or put lipstick on the grim face of poverty in Iran.
“Contrary to what government supporters claim, official reports and statistics show that the monthly inflation rate, specifically the inflation in June, has been unprecedented since Iran’s occupation in 1941,” the state-run Arman-e Meli daily acknowledged on September 8, citing Farsham Momeni, an Iranian economist.
According to Momeni, “some commodities’ prices increased by 100%. Cooking oil increased by 332%, tomato paste by 129%, and cheese by 126%. How can officials brag about raising salaries by 57% when consumer goods prices have increased by 300%? ”
“Even if we ignore the catastrophic situation in June, how could people forget about the government’s budget increasing by 430% since 2018? Meanwhile, according to the Statistics Center, the prices of consumer goods have increased by 400% in the same period.”
Tehran’s apologists claim that sanctions are to blame for all of Iran’s ills under the ruling theocracy. However, it appears that they did not double-check their talking points with their colleagues in Tehran, who refuted this claim.
“We faced significant problems even before sanctions. These issues remain unresolved and have amplified with new problems added. Some institutions in the country play a major role in damaging the private section and increasing the inflation rate. Their actions severely impact the middle class,” the state-run Arman-e Meli daily wrote on September 6.
Unlike his predecessors, Raisi cannot undermine or ignore Iran’s economic crisis and its consequences for the regime. As a result, it has made promises and issued ridiculous orders such as “eradication of poverty in two weeks” or to blocking consumer goods prices.
The never-ending barrage of warnings issued by Iran’s state media demonstrates the country’s volatile situation. “Three out of every four Iranians participate in protests,” the regime’s Supreme National Defense University warned regime officials in a recent national security study.
In other words, another popular uprising is on the horizon, confirming that installing Raisi, an unscrupulous mass murderer, as president would not help the regime’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei maintain the ruling theocracy. So, how could Raisi manage Iran’s economic crisis or save the regime in the face of rising popular protests?
MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTub
