Iranians report banking disruptions as cards and POS payments fail
Several Iranian bank card services were disrupted on Saturday, with customers reporting failed payments, blocked transfers and POS errors in messages sent to Iran International.
Iranian media reported disruptions affecting cards issued by Bank Melli, Tejarat, Sepah and Saderat. Messages from users also cited problems with Mellat cards and said both online transfers and ATM or card payments were failing.
One shopkeeper said nearly 90% of bank cards had been down for about four hours, leaving customers unable to make purchases.
Another message from Mashhad said banks had been facing disruptions since the morning.
A customer said cards from Bank Melli, Mellat and Tejarat were not working at a shop, while another message said POS devices were showing an “issuer error.”
Messages sent to Iran International from cities across the country paint a picture of households slipping steadily down the hierarchy of human needs.
Many say their tables have been reduced to the level of survival, where staying full matters more than quality, variety or nutritional value.
If many families had already removed red meat, fish and even chicken from their diets in recent years, messages received by Iran International suggest that fruit, eggs and dairy products have now also become luxuries for a large share of households.
Instead, they say they rely on filling foods such as pasta, potatoes, onions, bread and plain rice.
One citizen summed up the sense of despair bluntly: "If the Islamic Republic remains, we will be buried in the graveyard of our dreams."
Another said that most days their family eats little beyond potatoes, onions and lentil soup.
The accounts reflect a shift toward the most basic physiological needs required for survival, with little room for long-term health, development or security.
One citizen said that after months of buying food from weekly street vendors because shops had become too expensive, even those purchases are now out of reach.
"I only buy the absolute necessities now, things like potatoes, tomatoes and onions, and even then I buy the lowest-quality produce available," the person said.
A resident of Isfahan said the family's meals now consist largely of potatoes, pasta, or bread and cheese.
Official figures show some food categories rising well into triple digits over the past year while wages have failed to keep pace.
According to Central Bank data for the past month, year-on-year inflation reached 161 percent for milk, cheese and eggs, 267 percent for oils and fats, and 176 percent for meat products.
Citizens reported that lamb currently sells for around 22 million rials ($12.5) per kilogram, while beef costs roughly 15 million rials ($8.5) per kilogram.
Masoud Rasouli, secretary of the Meat Packaging and Protein Industry Association, said in early June that demand for red meat had fallen by about 50 percent compared with the previous year.
Many families told Iran International they had eliminated animal protein entirely from their diets despite warnings from health experts that prolonged protein deficiencies can lead to widespread malnutrition, particularly among children and adolescents.
Doctors have warned that shrinking household food baskets and a shift toward cheaper, lower-quality products could contribute to rising rates of anemia, weakened immune systems and other long-term health problems.
'Nothing but bread and cheese'
Several citizens said an ordinary package of breakfast cheese now costs around 2 million rials ($1.1).
"Many days our lunch and dinner consist only of bread and cheese," one person said. "But even if you live only on bread and cheese, you would still need about 150 million rials ($85) a month."
Iran's minimum monthly wage currently stands at around 160 million rials ($90).
Citizens reported prices of around 250,000 rials ($0.14) for a single egg, more than 10 million rials ($5.6) for a liter of cooking oil, and about 5 million rials ($2.8) for a 2.5-kilogram container of yogurt.
Many said that salaries which barely reach 200 million rials ($113) a month have left them struggling to secure even protein-free meals.
The messages also point to a more troubling development: the gradual replacement of food with whatever can fill an empty stomach.
A resident of Tabriz said they now buy meat stock instead of meat simply to create the flavor of meat in stews.
A mother from Dehloran in Ilam Province said her children have not eaten meat for months and that even chicken has become unaffordable.
Others described selling household belongings to cover food expenses.
"We have cut costs everywhere possible and there is almost nothing left on our table," one citizen said. "I have not eaten a proper meal in a week. We are reaching a point where we cannot afford three meals a day."
For a growing number of Iranians, the question is no longer how to maintain a standard of living, but how to secure enough food to get through another day.
Messages sent by teenagers described a growing gap between what they need and what their families can afford, with some saying even routine activities and modest purchases now feel unattainable.
One teenager said upgrading a computer has become unrealistic after the price of an 8GB DDR5 memory module rose to around 500 million rials (over $280).
Iran's minimum monthly wage is currently worth around $90-$110, depending on exchange-rate fluctuations, while estimates from labor experts put average monthly earnings for many workers at roughly $150.
"With these conditions, buying or upgrading a computer has become a dream," the teenager said.
Another wrote that a mobile phone purchased for 500 million rials (over $280) in February is now worth 930 million rials (over $520).
Others pointed to the disappearance of simple recreational activities from their lives. A 15-year-old said swimming pool fees have more than doubled since early April, while another said that a bicycle that once cost 300 million rials (around $170) now sells for 620 million rials (about $350).
"We Iranian teenagers and young people have reached a point where eating one good meal makes us happy, while our peers in other countries have many things to enjoy," one message said.
Embarrassed to ask
Several teenagers said financial pressure has not only reduced their expectations but also left them feeling ashamed to express their needs.
They described watching their parents struggle with rising living costs and choosing to remain silent about things they want or need.
An 11-year-old girl said her birthday falls in September but she is embarrassed to ask her father to organize a celebration.
She questioned why having a birthday party should be considered a wish rather than a normal part of childhood.
A 14-year-old wrote: "Whenever I ask my parents for something, they say they don't have the money. I feel ashamed when I sit at the dinner table."
Another 15-year-old said gym membership fees had tripled.
"I feel guilty asking for things I need because I know dealing with these prices is not easy for my parents," the teenager wrote.
Some others said they increasingly feel like a burden on their families. One wrote that their parents regularly give up their own wishes to provide for their children, while another said the feeling of being an extra weight on the family has become constant.
A 14-year-old girl said she feels guilty whenever her parents buy something for her and has become pessimistic about her future.
Adult worries replace childhood concerns
Some said their attention has shifted from hobbies, friendships and future plans to concerns about war, economic conditions and daily news.
"Whenever I think about war and ceasefires, I cry," one teenager wrote. "Why can't I enjoy life like other teenagers or go to school wearing what I want?"
A 12-year-old asked why children should be preoccupied with current events instead of enjoying their free time.
Several said the issues occupying their minds resemble adult concerns rather than those usually associated with adolescence.
"I should be thinking about having fun and playing, not working or worrying about politics and the price of gold and dollars," one teenager wrote.
Comparisons with teenagers abroad appeared frequently in the messages.
A 16-year-old girl said she works instead of pursuing leisure activities and is often too exhausted to remain on her feet.
A university entrance exam candidate wrote that seeing graduation celebrations in other countries leaves the strongest sense of longing.
Growing uncertainty about the future
Several teenagers said they struggle to imagine a future for themselves at a stage in life when they should be exploring talents, setting goals and pursuing ambitions.
An 18-year-old said the country's conditions have left little motivation even for ordinary daily life, let alone planning for the future.
Another wrote that, despite being only 18, they are already watching their hopes and ambitions fade.
A 15-year-old said economic pressure, exhaustion and disappointment have become part of everyday life and make long-held aspirations feel impossible to achieve.
Some said uncertainty is even shaping major life decisions.
A ninth-grade student wrote that although they would like to choose an academic path based on personal interests, the future feels so unpredictable that passion has become a luxury.
Instead of focusing on dreams, the student said thoughts are dominated by rising prices, war and the memory of those who have died, creating a sense of being trapped with no clear path forward.
Accounts from several provinces described children and teenagers taking part in checkpoint operations and handling weapons at state-sponsored gatherings, despite international conventions that call on governments to keep minors away from military and security activities.
“Recession, inflation, poverty and hardship are rampant, and this is a sign of economic collapse,” a resident of Fereydunkenar, north of Iran, said. “They have set up checkpoints with children aged 10 to 12 and gather people around city squares with food and payments to show strength.”
A resident of Tehran province described what he said was the growing presence of minors at checkpoints in Shahriar, near Tehran.
“Almost all the checkpoints in Shahriar are run by children under 16 holding flashlights. It is truly absurd,” the resident wrote.
Military training at public gatherings
Citizens also described state-organized events where children were given access to firearms and military training activities.
A resident of Tehran said children had been deployed at checkpoints during public events and that authorities had also set up stations distributing tea and refreshments.
Similar accounts emerged from other parts of the country.
“At the entrance to Bastak in Hormozgan province, they hand rifles to children every night,” one resident said.
Another citizen from Kelardasht in Mazandaran province reported seeing children being taught how to handle weapons.
Long history of youth mobilization
The use of minors in military and security-related activities has a long history in the Islamic Republic.
During the Iran-Iraq War, thousands of teenagers were sent to the front lines, and many were killed in military operations. In the decades that followed, military-oriented instruction continued through school programs such as “Defensive Readiness” classes and student Basij activities.
Student Basij organizations and university Basij branches have for years operated within educational institutions, recruiting young people into structures linked to the security establishment.
Human rights advocates argue that linking formal education with military and paramilitary activities risks normalizing violence and militarization among children and adolescents.
Iran is a party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires states to protect children from involvement in military activities and provide a safe environment for their development and education.
Expansion of military imagery
The reports coincide with a broader increase in the public display of military equipment across Iran.
In recent months, images have circulated showing missiles, military hardware, Revolutionary Guards speedboats and light and heavy weapons displayed in public spaces, schools, state-organized gatherings and media programs.
Child rights advocates view such measures as part of a wider effort to normalize the presence of weapons in children's daily lives and to militarize public space.
The growing involvement of children and teenagers in government-organized activities, checkpoints and military programs may also reflect efforts to cultivate future generations of ideologically aligned supporters and security personnel, according to critics of the policy.
