Iran’s state-run media acknowledge the country’s economic crisis and its various aspects. The core message of all these articles is that Iran’s economy is collapsing. They also recognize the regime’s institutionalized corruption and wrong economic policies are the real reason for the current economic crisis.
The state-run Resalat daily quoted Massoud Khansari, head of Tehran’s economic chamber, on February 17, as saying that the dollar exchange rate has tripled in three years, parallel with a 10% rise in commodity prices.
Khansari then referred to the rising prices of goods in three years by “70%” and considered “domestic reasons” to be the root of this economic problem.
“The fundamental question is who, with what intellectual and political orientation, and with what level of expertise, decides and makes this decision which has driven the Iranian economy crazy. These people seem to have deliberately driven the Iranian economy crazy, and it seems that they are benefiting greatly from this situation,” wrote the state-run Jahan-e Sanat daily on February 17, in an article entitled “Who drove Iran’s economy crazy.”
The regime’s economic mismanagement, plundering, and institutionalized corruption have indeed driven “Iran’s economy crazy.” It is mainly due to the rising prices and rampant inflation that the costs of items of materials and supplies needed by the people grew by 300%. According to Professor Steve Hanke from John Hopkins University, the annual inflation rate in Iran is 97.52%.
In the #StatisticalCenterOfIran's Azar yr 1399 report, #Iran's #Inflation is 30.5%/yr. FALSE. By utilizing PPP & high-frequency data, I accurately measure Iran’s inflation to be 97.52%/yr. That's more than 3x the official BOGUS rate! Iran’s corrupt govt produces corrupt “facts." pic.twitter.com/NeduNdijMv
— Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) December 23, 2020
While Iranian people suffer from high prices and rampant inflation, the regime’s authorities and their families enjoy luxurious lives.
“Large sections of the population are severely affected by inflation, and the owners of property and goods gain huge profits from rising prices and inflation,” wrote the state-run Eghtesad Saramad on February 17.
The regime’s corruption has increased class divisions and people’s misery.
“According to the report of the Court of Accounts, the Gini coefficient has increased. Between 2017 and 2019, the situation of income distribution in the country has deteriorated significantly,” wrote the state-run Vatan-e Emrooz on February 17.
“In 2017, the misery index was 19.8, and in the same year, Iran was ranked 130th globally in terms of economic corruption. In 2018, according to official statistics, the misery index was 39%, while Iran’s ranking for economic corruption reached 138. The following year, the misery index reached 45.5 percent, and Iran’s ranking continued to get worse at 147. In the year 2020, the index of misery and again according to official statistics, became 70 and the rank of corruption reached 149 in the world, and this means disaster,” wrote the state-run Arman daily, in an article entitled “The relationship between economic corruption and the misery index.”
While Iranians are struggling under the poverty line, the prices continue to soar, making people unable to make ends meet, particularly amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Arman daily admits to the authorities’ systematic corruption and those of their relatives and children known as “Aghazadeh” or ‘officials’ children.’
“We must look for the money exported from Iran, spent and wasted by the Aghazadehes in other countries. The most important damage that embezzlement and its spread in the media cause is a tsunami that undermines social capital and public trust,” Arman’s article read.
The ongoing economic crisis in Iran due to the regime’s mismanagement has turned the society into a powder keg. The major Iran protests in 2019, during which people attacked the regime’s plundering and repression centers, showed Iranians consider the regime as the real reason for Iran’s economic and social crises. This has been confirmed even during the pandemic, with dozens of protests by all walks of life across Iran on a daily basis.
The state-run media warn one another of another uprising.
“All problems will open their mouths at one time, and on the day when the tolerance of the majority of the society, the workers, is over and their patience is exhausted, we will not see good results,” wrote the state-run Arman on February 15.