Iran's President Pezeshkian Admits: 'Our Problems Have Worsened Dramatically'

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian admitted during a televised meeting of governing bodies that Iran's economic problems have sharply worsened since its war with the US and Israel. He said rising prices are due to higher import costs and reduced state revenues caused by lower oil sales. "Imported goods used to enter Iran through more direct routes, but now they take longer and more expensive paths, which raises prices. The drop in oil sales has cut government revenues, as Iran is unable to sell oil at previous levels," Pezeshkian admitted. "Our income has also declined. We used to sell oil; now we can't," he said. Damage to industrial facilities added to the economic pressure, as many factories were hit and destroyed during the strikes with Israel and the US. Pezeshkian noted that the damage reduced tax revenues, leaving the government struggling to collect payments from affected factories. "We can't collect taxes from factories, and not only that, we need to give them money so they can stay operational," he said. "Our problems have worsened dramatically, while our income has declined," the president said. The economic crisis is felt by citizens; last week it was reported that a long list of products in supermarkets were rationed, and Iran International network reported that stores limited the number of rice bags that could be bought and allowed rice purchases on installment plans.