Iranians struggle to get by amid US war and domestic woes

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports from Tehran that many Iranians are facing intensifying economic and social strain as living costs rise, public services falter and infrastructure damage from the ongoing conflict compounds long-running domestic problems. The report, published July 21, cites residents describing steep increases in everyday expenses: a pensioner in western Tehran said her monthly pension, even after a government increase, no longer covers basics, while a young renter said he accepted a rent rise of nearly 50 percent despite an official Tehran cap of 27 percent.

According to the report, Iranians are dealing with weaker purchasing power, costly food, rent and medicine, job losses, unreliable internet, electricity cuts, banking disruptions and damaged infrastructure. Al Jazeera says inflation was nearly 90 percent last month, with food inflation at 134 percent year on year, and that the rial was trading near a new low of more than 1.9 million to the US dollar. Government support, including cash subsidies and electronic food coupons, is described as limited, with some shops reportedly refusing coupons over delayed compensation.

The article links the crisis to structural economic weaknesses, Western sanctions, local mismanagement and damage from wars involving the United States and Israel. It says attacks have hit civilian and industrial infrastructure, including transport links, energy sites, water facilities and ports, while cyberattacks and banking disruption have added pressure. Authorities have attributed some power outages to bombing, and outages have reportedly contributed to water shortages in some provinces.

Al Jazeera also notes tighter social and media controls, including temporary closures of cafes and shops in central Tehran and the removal of a popular football website and app after criticism of the national team. The developments matter because they show how war, sanctions and domestic governance pressures are converging on daily life for ordinary Iranians.