Iran state newspaper warns of future protests, another uprising

Reporting by PMOI/MEK

Iran, July 14, 2020— “The extreme poverty index in Iran has increased by 26 percent during the past year alone,” according to a piece published in the state-run Arman daily on Monday, July 13. “This report forecasts unpleasant developments in the future that are beginning to take shape in the depth of our society. During the past year the people’s economic difficulties have increased extensively… the pressures imposed through our monetary and financial policies, and economic mismanagement have all resulted in lesser and lesser people being able to experience any leisure and recreation.”

“Considering the increase in the country’s inflation and reaching the level of 50 percent, even worse consequences are awaiting our economy, especially for people’s living conditions. Of course, the situation will deteriorate even further and there will be even more dangerous consequences for the ruling state,” the piece elaborates.

Professor Steve Hanke of Johns Hopkins University measured Iran’s true inflation rate at 88 percent on Monday, July 13, adding the rate stood at 58 percent on July 1. The country’s currency, the rial, plunged to a record low on Monday to 235,500 per U.S. dollar.

All the while, with the novel coronavirus pandemic spreading even further in Iran, the regime’s concerns over popular protests and nationwide uprisings grow with each passing day. The state-run Jahan-e Sanat daily wrote on Monday, “Officials are encouraging people to wear masks. However, to this day the government has not donated even five masks to the country’s poor. The government let the people loose for the sake of the economy and is now terrified of riots by the hungry!… The lower class, due to many unresolvable problems, has no choice but to pour into the streets for protests… These days the COVID-19 crisis has rendered a new crisis for people from all walks of life. There is no longer a middle class. In fact, no branch of the society can put food on the table… Living conditions in cities across the country are far worse than Tehran. And since they believe that their voices are not being heard by the officials, they are even more urgent in this regard… If officials don’t think of a solution, there will be protests in the future and we can no longer stop the people.”

#Iran Coronavirus Update

More than 70,300 people have died of the novel #coronavirus in 343 cities checkered across all of Iran's 31 provinces, according to the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK.

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— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 13, 2020