Currency, gold, cars, and basic goods prices soar as regime policies deepen economic crisis and widen the gap between wages and living costs.
As Europe prepares to trigger the snapback mechanism that would restore all United Nations economic sanctions against the Iranian regime, Iran’s financial markets are spiraling out of control. In the past 48 hours, the prices of currency, gold, cars, and essential goods have surged at an alarming pace.
Two days after the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dismissed negotiations with the United States as a “dead end” and “harmful,” the rial collapsed further. By Thursday, September 25, the U.S. dollar traded above 109,000 tomans in Tehran’s Ferdowsi market, while the euro hit 127,900 tomans. The British pound crossed 146,000 tomans, the UAE dirham rose to 29,540 tomans, the Turkish lira reached 2,680 tomans, the Chinese yuan stood at 15,250 tomans, and the Canadian dollar climbed to a record 78,250 tomans.
The gold market mirrored these fears, driven by expectations of further currency devaluation and possible renewed conflict between Israel and the regime. Eighteen-carat gold reached 10 million tomans per gram, with the Emami gold coin at 108 million tomans and the Bahar Azadi coin at 99.8 million tomans. Half coins traded at 56.3 million tomans and quarter coins at 33.2 million tomans.
Meanwhile, the cost of essential goods is also surging. Producers of dairy, grains, snacks, and beverages have raised prices by 10–20% in just two days, following a year of near-monthly increases. Independent reviews of Tehran’s wholesale markets show that consumer goods inflation is accelerating, hitting households already struggling with stagnant wages. Analysts warn that more than 80% of Iran’s population now faces unprecedented economic pressure.
The auto market illustrates the scale of the crisis. On Thursday, all products from Iran Khodro and SAIPA rose by another 10 million tomans. The cheapest Iran Khodro sedan, the Runna Plus, now costs 800 million tomans, while higher-end models like the Dena Plus automatic are priced at 1.285 billion tomans. Popular models such as the Peugeot 207 automatic now sell for 1.24 billion tomans. SAIPA’s Shahin models range from 1.025 billion tomans for the manual version to 1.06 billion tomans for the automatic. Even the cheapest cars, like the Quick GX, now cost 555 million tomans—equivalent to 37 times the average worker’s salary.
This relentless inflation comes as the regime doubles down on its confrontational foreign and nuclear policies. Khamenei’s insistence on continuing aggressive strategies has left wages frozen while living costs soar. With no clear government plan to address the crisis, analysts warn that the coming months may see an explosion of social unrest—not only over political repression but also over the simple inability of ordinary Iranians to meet their daily needs.
