Systems whose last concern is their peoples
The deteriorating economic and living conditions in Iran today reveal an undeniable truth: states cannot build their people’s futures on wars, conflicts, and external interventions, nor can they substitute arms races and military projects for development and prosperity.
The unprecedented surge in prices, the decline in the value of the currency, the erosion of purchasing power, and the mounting pressures on citizens in Iran are the natural outcome of a political trajectory spanning more than four decades.
Data from recent reports underscore the depth of the crisis gripping the Iranian economy. Annual inflation reached approximately 66% in July 2026, while food price inflation exceeded 128%, making it increasingly difficult for broad segments of the Iranian population to afford basic necessities.
Economic reports also indicate that the prices of certain staple food items have skyrocketed in recent years, amid the depreciation of the rial and the steady erosion of citizens’ purchasing power.
This raises a pressing question: How did a country endowed with abundant natural resources, vast oil and gas reserves, and extensive human and scientific capacities reach such a stage of poverty, soaring costs, and economic turmoil?
The answer lies in the policies adopted by Iran’s leadership over the past four decades. Instead of building a productive and stable economy, Iran has pursued an external policy centered on interfering in the affairs of other states, supporting armed conflicts, financing groups and militias, engaging in direct and indirect wars, and allocating massive resources to developing military, missile, and nuclear capabilities.
It was inevitable that these policies would exact a heavy toll on the Iranian people. Funds that could have been invested in developing schools, hospitals, and infrastructure, improving living standards, and creating jobs were largely diverted to military, security, and regional agendas. Meanwhile, Iranian citizens have borne the brunt of sanctions, isolation, declining investments, and currency depreciation.
Even more alarming is the continued pursuit of advanced nuclear and military capabilities in a highly sensitive region. Acquiring nuclear weapons under this aggressive approach will not bring prosperity or security to Iran; rather, it could transform the region into a more dangerous arena of conflict and, in the worst-case scenario, lead to the destruction of Iran and the entire region.
What is happening in Iran should serve as a clear lesson: aggressive policies do not build futures, wars do not construct economies, and excessive armament does not put food on citizens’ tables. If Iran wishes to emerge from its crisis, the path begins by redirecting its resources toward its people, halting policies of interference and aggression, and returning to the logic of dialogue, good neighborliness, and development. Peoples deserve to enjoy security and prosperity, not to pay the price for policies that yield only poverty, hunger, and devastation.
