Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, March 22, 2020—While Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei deviously describes the new Iranian calendar year as the year of “Production Leap,” a look at remarks made by state experts in the final days of the last Iranian calendar year (leading up to March 20) sheds light on Khamenei’s contradictory remarks and the regime’s economic bankruptcy.
“In the new Iranian calendar year, 1399, we are facing restrictions on our currency resource and oil revenues due to special reasons… The country’s currency resources will decrease, and we will be facing further revenue limitations,” said Jamshid Pezhouhan, a state expert whose remarks are usually relayed by the regime’s media.
Mohammad Bagher Sadr, another such state expert, published an article reading in part: “Our economic inabilities will spill over into 1399… Iran’s economic dilemmas will specifically be witnessed in the people’s inability to make ends meet daily. We don’t know how tomorrow will be and what awaits the country.” (Iran daily, affiliated to the government of Iranian regime President Hassan Rouhani, published this article on March 18.
“We can’t place a wall around the entire country and expect economic advances,” said Fereydoon Majlesi, a former diplomat and state expert.
“Brent oil prices reached $29 a barrel recently while Iran is not selling its oil in the world market. This says it all. To our officials! Please don’t delay in making realistic decisions and begin implementing them immediately,” a March 18 article read in E’temad daily.
“Our economy can move from the current numb status to a complete economic-commerce cripple mode, or even worse,” according to the Mardom Salari daily on March 18.
“Based on official numbers, 40 percent of the people are living under the poverty line and their revenue and expenses are not relevant at all… they are always worried about making ends meet,” according to a March 18 article in Mostaghel daily.
Setarey-e Sobh, another state-run daily, published an article describing an even more dire future for the regime’s economy while referring to the November 2019 protests. “Generally, one must realize that 1399 (March 2019 to March 2020) we witnessed the country’s economic downfall. Twice in this period, we witnessed protests over poor living conditions and people pouring into the streets. Dissident groups were able to take control of these [protests] and use them against the state. However, the people began these protests and they were unhappy due to wrong economic policies,” the article reads.
In such circumstances when the mullahs’ regime is undergoing economic suffocation due to institutionalized corruption and strong sanctions, the devious remarks made by Khamenei at the start of the new Iranian calendar year about a year of “Production Leap” further shows his regime’s dead-end and no solutions in the face of economic and social crises engulfing his rule.
