Iranian clerical regime officials have recently touted significant economic growth under President Ebrahim Raisi, amidst escalating internal controversies.
These claims have been challenged by alarming statistics and the damaging admissions from within their ranks. Saeed Lilaz, a government-associated economist, warned on June 14 about Iran’s soaring inflation rate.
“The inflation rate in 2022 has surpassed 50%, the highest since 1943,” said Lilaz. He pointed to the rapid increase in liquidity during Raisi’s 23-month tenure, which he characterized as a form of widespread looting, particularly over the past five years.
Furthermore, the Chairman of the Executive Board of the National Development Fund revealed that only $10 billion of a $150 billion fund remains.
These concerns were bolstered by the Deputy Director of the regime’s Planning and Budget Organization last month, who disclosed the Raisi government’s budget deficit of 794 quadrillion rials.
On June 14, Ali Khezarian, spokesperson of the Article 90 Commission in the Iranian parliament, openly addressed the systemic corruption within the government. Khezarian disclosed that government officials and managers control about 500 quadrillion Rials ($11.9 trillion) of the national wealth, without transparency or public awareness.
This move, approved by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and seven top officials, follows a previous privatization initiative, which had already granted the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) significant financial control. The new scheme could effectively give them ownership of the entire country, escalating the controversy surrounding the plan.
These issues underline President Raisi’s economic missteps, and Supreme Leader Khamenei’s attempt to solidify power through Raisi’s presidency.
Meanwhile, the Donyay-e Eghtesad daily revealed on February 1 that the sale of surplus properties could generate around $445 billion, yet the impact on Iran’s domestic economy is concerning. On June 24, Tejarat newspaper acknowledged a drastic decline in dairy product consumption due to increasing poverty, illustrating the disturbing effects of these policies on the nation’s vulnerable population.
This failure, coupled with internal discord and persistent protests, reveals the regime’s growing instability. The international community is urged to support the Iranian people’s call for regime change and self-determination.
In an open letter to Khamenei, state-affiliated economist Mohsen Ranani underscored the system’s declining efficiency and warned of its impending collapse. This bleak picture illustrates the significant challenges facing the Iranian regime, with increasing domestic and international scrutiny.
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