[60596] Iran Updates the Kooh-Barg System: Claims of Increases in Food Subsidies

Update to the Iranian Subsidy System: Loading of 'Kooh-Barg' Cards

Authorities in Iran announced today, May 15, 2026, that the government food subsidy card system (Kooh-Barg) has been loaded for heads of households whose ID numbers end in the digits 7, 8, or 9. According to reports, holders of these cards can now make purchases at all retail chains and supermarkets signed onto the system agreement.

Channel Reports

According to خبر فوری جنگ ایران (a channel identified with current news and security reports), the government and parliament in Iran are "determined to compensate for part of the burden of existing price hikes by increasing the Kooh-Barg amount." The original report noted that as of now, no final decision has been reached regarding the rate of the increase, and the public will receive an update once the financial sources for it are secured.

Simultaneously, آخرین خبر – a general news channel providing current updates from official agencies – confirmed the loading notice for the cards for those population groups, without further details on future plans to increase the subsidy budget.

This move is part of Iran's economic efforts to cope with the inflation eroding household purchasing power through a targeted subsidy mechanism.