[52687] President of Iran orders a harsh crackdown on the cost of living and market profiteering

President Pezeshkian orders a crackdown on the cost of living

Against the backdrop of a wave of price hikes in Iran, the country's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter) in which he addressed the difficult economic situation. According to Iran International, which is identified with criticism of the regime, Pezeshkian admitted he is aware of the price increases and claimed that some of the causes lie in "changes in raw material prices and difficulties stemming from the war" — a definition he termed "cruel war" in official reports by the IRNA News Agency and the official channel of the Revolutionary Guards.

The president emphasized that "profiteering and hoarding of goods are in no way tolerable" and that they harm social peace. Accordingly, according to a report in Akharin Khabar, Pezeshkian instructed the Minister of Justice to act in coordination with the judiciary in order to take "serious and decisive action" against any violation in the market.

In parallel to the president's measures, the General Inspection Organization of the State issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Ministries of Industry, Mine and Trade, and the Ministry of Agriculture, for the submission of reports on the real prices of products. The head of the organization threatened legal action against officials who fail in their duty to supervise the market or create difficulties for the import and export of goods.

On the other hand, voices were heard criticizing the government's handling of the crisis. According to a report in SKhorasan_today, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi noted that despite his appreciation for the government's efforts, "in some cases, sufficient steps were not taken for price control," adding that the government possesses the legal and economic tools for a more proper management of the unreasonable rise in prices.