Inflation is taking a toll all over the world, and one of the big nations to pay the price is Iran, where food subsidies are being cut and prices are soaring for anything flour-based.
Inflation is impacting almost everything, and wheat flour seems to be the most sensitive, with the war between Russia and Ukraine, two major growers, raising concern about availability later in the year.
Across Iran, and especially central Iran, demonstrators are in the streets complaining about the food prices. Security forces are firing tear gas at them, and unconfirmed reports are that six have been killed.
Iran’s options are limited at this point, as the lack of sanctions relief has kept them from getting at any of their frozen assets, and subsequently they can just no longer afford huge subsidies designed to help average Iranians afford food.
I am living in Ahvaz, the protests are mainly here in the south, this was a peaceful protest at the start, there was no rioters, people that were protesting first peacefully started to get away from the protests as they saw rioters (most calls them saboteurs), my friend told me he saw people preparing with pipe bombs and other weapons, they are mostly not known at all here and coming from other cities (and maybe from the Iraq border) or incitating people to arm and start a revolt, people knows that some are affiliated with the mojahedin organization (MEK), they are here at every protests to turn them into riots and putting the normal protesters in danger, after what happened in 2019 people are very cautious and get back at every sign of a saboteur, we didn’t experienced an internet shutdown as claimed here
https://twitter.com/MaxBlumenthal/status/1043769680849248256?s=20&t=fAz6AwsD5Um4Q9MvlEKMog This is not a secret anymore, they have their “special rebellion units” everywhere, waiting for a little protest to start and transform it into a general riot or claiming that every protest is aimed for a regime change, these people are mostly responsible for what happened in 2019, they are backed by the United States and were in the US terrorist list before 2012, they are responsible for the death of thousands of Iranians and Americans too, “Free Iran” is their slogan
Otherwise they should have decreased subsidies gradually, not all at once. Regardless now it’s done and the market will have to adapt to supply and demand. The entire world is facing high inflation and economic downturns.
Wheat, bread, rice and milk are the most impacted