Iranians are struggling to deal with US wars and domestic problems US-Israel War on Iran News

Tehran, Iran Every trip to the supermarket brings unpleasant experiences for Leyla, a retiree who lives in western Tehran.

“You compare prices to weeks or months ago,” he said.

Just the ice cream and yogurt cost her about 10 million rials (just over $5), added Leyla, who on Tuesday received 180 million rials ($94) as her monthly pension.

“And that’s the money I’m getting after the government’s 40 percent increase this year – but it’s not starting to pay back what’s needed,” he said.

A combination of decades of economic problems, including restrictions imposed by the government and the additional damage caused by the war launched by the United States and Israel in February, just months after the 12-day conflict with Israel, continues to make life difficult for Iranians.

Across the sanctions-hit country, people are facing mounting challenges as they struggle to make ends meet – from falling purchasing power and unaffordable food, rent and medicine to after the work is doneUnreliable internet, power outages, bank disruptions and catastrophic damage.

Masoud, a young resident of the capital, said the landlord agreed after many negotiations to set a 50 percent lower rent this year.

“I’m sliding, but I have to pay for a similar house in the same area or go to the south of the city – not to mention the moving costs,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that he hopes next year will be there. very bad.

This is when the government has ordered that landlords in Tehran will only legally increase the rent by 27 percent, and the region in other regions is at 25 percent. But these figures are often used as a floor, not a ceiling, on prices where disgruntled tenants have to go through dispute resolution councils if they protest.

A similar picture has emerged in other sectors and industries, where financial support from the government is either non-existent or minimal as the situation worsens day by day.

For example, the government offers monthly cash assistance and electronic coupons for grocery purchases, but they only amount to a few dollars. Local media, citing users, have recently reported that some stores are refusing to accept coupons because they have not been paid for by the government.

Meanwhile, inflation last month was about 90 percent, and rising food prices hit 134 percent, compared to the previous year. Next month’s figures are expected to worsen. Iran’s currency has fallen sharply this week and remained unchanged on Tuesday at more than 1.9 million rials against the US dollar.

The regulated prices of all types of bread sold in Tehran were almost doubled by the government in a decree last month. Local media reported that petrol prices may rise again soon after last year’s sharp spike.

Experts say that the provision of credit to businesses has appeared slow or insufficient, individuals and businesses have received little repayment relief despite the disruption of banking caused by a major cyberattack last month, and unemployment insurance – which has seen a surge in new jobs this year – is in need of many informal and digital workers.

The country is struggling to recover from the crisis deadly protests across the country in January, and two wars in less than a year, and the ongoing conflict with the US shows signs of abating.

Amid deadly protests in January and the ongoing war, the Islamic Republic cut off access to the world’s internet, with the second shutdown that lasted three months making it the longest on record for any country. Some access was restored in late May, but Iran’s internet remains one of the slowest and most unfiltered in the world.

The heavy damage from the war has added to the structural problems of Iran, whose economy has also been crippled by Western sanctions and local mismanagement.

During the two wars, the US and Israel systematically bombed many civilian targets, including ports, airports, bridges and roads, as well as oil and gas facilities, petrochemical producers, steel giants, power and water plants.

Damage is already expected in the area hundreds of billions of dollarsand heavy strikes and naval blockades placed on Iran’s southern ports are about to end.

Iranian officials attributed some of the power outages, which continue to affect people and businesses as summer temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the country, to the bombings. Power outages have led to water shortages in some areas, including some of those bombed by the US in the south, when water pumps stopped working.

Despite the increasing problems, many Iranians do their best to survive, keep their habits, go out and enjoy street music wherever they can’t be blocked.

But others were left feeling the pinch after authorities this week temporarily closed dozens of restaurants and shops in central Tehran, where thousands of people gather each day to socialize.

In the streets of Sanaei and Iranshahr, the owners of the cafe were given several reasons when they were closed – from disagreement with the “Islamic customs” of the mandatory hijab for women to close the streets. Such closures have occurred in waves in the past.

A young man who saw the restaurant closing down said: “All fun and living is about to end. How many years of youth and life do we have left to wait for this world to become a better place to live?”

Adel Ferdosipour, a well-known Iranian football commentator, was left in tears on Monday night after his website and popular form Soccer 360 were deleted for criticizing Team Melli and its head coach after a match. poor performance at the World Cup.

“Why not allow people to work in this country? he said while talking to government officials in a program that was released on TV.

“Your ceiling is so low that you cannot tolerate anything. You have all the media and resources, but you are so small that you cannot even tolerate this website and services,” he said in a video that went viral on Tuesday.