by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Iran’s parliament speaker has issued a rare public warning that military power alone cannot preserve the Islamic Republic as hunger, inflation, and sanctions tighten around the country.
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, one of Iran’s senior political figures and a key hard-line voice in Tehran, said during remarks to Iranian and Iraqi business leaders that Iran must confront the economic pressure now bearing down on ordinary citizens.
“No matter how much military power we have, we won’t survive if people are hungry and we don’t have financial turnover, economic growth and national production,” Qalibaf said, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency, cited by Reuters.
The comments come as Iran’s economy faces a deepening crisis. Reuters reported that Iran’s annual inflation rate reached 66% in July, while food inflation surged 128% year over year, according to Iran’s Statistical Centre.
The rial also fell to a new record low Monday, reaching 2.02 million to the U.S. dollar on informal markets, AP reported, as Washington prepared additional sanctions aimed at further isolating Tehran’s economy.
Iranian households are being squeezed by soaring prices, shrinking wages, job losses, and disruptions tied to sanctions and the ongoing regional conflict. AP reported that many families are cutting back on fruit, protein, and other basics as food and medicine become harder to afford.
Qalibaf’s warning underscores a growing dilemma for Iran’s rulers: Tehran continues to project military defiance abroad, yet at home the regime is facing the very pressure that has repeatedly fueled unrest across the Islamic Republic.
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