Iran International published testimonies from Iranian citizens detailing severe economic hardship, including a mother of three evicted for unpaid rent, a young couple whose wedding loan of 350 million toman is insufficient for basic household goods, and residents in Gachsaran reporting only 10 hours of water service in 48 hours. Utility bills in some areas surged from 300,000 toman in June to 800,000–1 million toman in July despite unchanged consumption, according to the report.
Iran International on Wednesday published a series of firsthand testimonies illustrating the depth of Iran's worsening cost-of-living crisis. Citizens reported evictions, skyrocketing utility bills, and chronic water shortages, with one mother of three saying she was forced out of her apartment because she could no longer pay rent. A young couple in Fardis said their wedding loan of 350 million toman (about $2,900) was not enough to buy basic household items, noting that a single refrigerator cost 200 million toman.
As The Zioneer has previously reported, Iran's official inflation rate stood at 88.6% in June, with food prices surging 134.6% year-over-year. The latest testimonies suggest the economic strain is intensifying, hitting basic utilities and housing. Water outages in Gachsaran left residents with only 10 hours of supply over 48 hours, while electricity and water bills in some areas more than doubled between June and July without any increase in usage. Internet connectivity and data costs are also rising, according to the report.
These accounts come amid ongoing U.S. sanctions and regional tensions that have hammered the Iranian rial and pushed the minimum wage—roughly $100 per month—far below the cost of living. The report does not provide a broader analysis of the regime's response, but the testimonies align with months of economic indicators documented by The Zioneer showing a steady erosion of purchasing power.
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