Iranian President cites foreign pressure as economy nears critical tipping point

A recent Jahan-e Sanat report recounted supermarket staff observing customers hiding or consuming inexpensive food items inside stores, a sign of growing desperation amid soaring food prices. Miad Maleki of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Iran’s food inflation reached between 112.5% and 113.8% in March 2026, with bread and cereals up 140% and dairy products rising sharply, pushing many families toward a nutritional breaking point.

President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged “difficulties and problems” but blamed foreign adversaries for provoking public unrest, asserting the nation’s continued power. Maleki cautioned that while economic hardship could spark protests similar to the 2019 gasoline price surge, the Revolutionary Guard and Basij are likely to suppress dissent. He also noted the rial’s decline to roughly 1.94 million per U.S. dollar in July and the government’s modest cash credits of about $7 at open-market rates after subsidy cuts. These trends, he argued, illustrate a deepening crisis that could affect a broad segment of the population, not just the poorest.