Iran International
Iranian media are now openly discussing the war’s impact on livelihoods—a subject largely avoided until recently, when journalists resorted to indirect language to navigate censorship.
As a fragile ceasefire holds despite exchanges of fire near the Strait of Hormuz, concern has grown about the risk of unrest driven by soaring prices.
The pharmaceutical sector has been among the hardest hit, with some medicine prices reportedly rising nearly six-fold.
“We have a choice between no medicine or making it available at a high price,” Mahmoud Jamalian of parliament’s Health Committee said, according to Asr Iran.
Warnings have also begun to surface about how the state may respond.
Hardline analyst Mostafa Khoshcheshm said on state television that protests over rising prices could be treated as collaboration with foreign powers seeking to destabilize Iran—an indication of how quickly economic grievances could be securitized.
Moderate daily Sharq wrote that after damaging infrastructure, the war is now eroding economic relations and household livelihoods, adding that uncertainty surrounding the conflict is further weakening the economy.
Beyond prices, the disruption has spread across key sectors. Damage to infrastructure and prolonged internet restrictions have slowed or halted parts of the digital economy, while supply chains have come under strain, compounding pressure on businesses and households.
Economist Hossein Raghfar said the government’s handling of the crisis raises serious concerns, warning that continuing current policies will fuel public dissatisfaction.
He argued that frustration over economic conditions—visible during the January unrest—and the state’s inability to address it had weakened the country internally.
Raghfar criticized the use of scarce foreign currency on car imports and said authorities acted too late to halt exports of eggs, rice and meat to stabilize domestic prices.
“Unfortunately, the government is nowhere to be seen these days,” he said, contrasting the current response with the eight-year war with Iraq.
Asked about solutions, Raghfar said Iran still has the capacity to withstand sanctions but lacks the political will to use it. He called for investment in domestic production and urged reallocating funds to revive key sectors.
Another moderate daily, Etemad, reported that workers are emerging as the primary victims of the war and economic strain, with layoffs, unpaid wages and rising poverty becoming widespread.
In Fars Province, between 20 and 100 workers have reportedly been dismissed per workplace; in Rasht, at least 2,000 have lost their jobs in two months.
The Labor Ministry estimates the conflict has cost more than one million jobs, affecting up to two million people directly or indirectly.
Economist Vahid Shaghaghi-Shahri said chronic inflation, temporary contracts and a large informal labor market had already left workers highly vulnerable.
With war, recession and sanctions converging, he urged the government to prioritize “protecting livelihoods and preventing mass unemployment” as an urgent national priority.
