Initial Outlook for Iran’s Upcoming Year, Deadlock With No Solution

The coronavirus and the economic crisis are two major crises Iran’s government is facing, while the state-run newspapers analyzing it do not see any way out of these crises.

The State-run daily Arman on March 18, 2021 quoted some of the government experts about this situation in an article entitled, ‘the bright shadow of the economy and health in 1400’, referring to the Persian New Year which official begins on March 21.

“Referring to the social ills caused by class divisions, poverty and unemployment, Qarayi Moghaddam, a government expert, wrote: ‘As we have seen in previous years, and next year we will see no effort to solve these problems. Another issue is migration from deprived cities and villages to big cities, and I generally do not see next year as a good year.”

This expert sees the only way out of Iran’s government situation, ‘A new window in the political relations of the system with other countries’ and warned: “Social dissatisfaction will increase next year. When I look everywhere, I do not see a good outlook for next year. And next year we will face an increase in all kinds of social troubles and turmoil in society.”

In the continuation of this article another expert Abhari wrote: “From a series of past and present events, one can make an approximate prediction of the events and circumstances of the people in 1400 (2021-2022), although some of these events and predictions do not require any mental strength. For example, prices will continue to rise, and the coronavirus will continue.”

He added: “With the trend that followed in 2020, inflation and high prices eliminated the middle class from society and only two rich and poor classes remained in society. Some people spend 200 million tomans per meter at home and others spend the night on the roof top. If the price increases with the same trend, the poor class will disappear too. If the vaccine import process is as it is now, next year one third of the country’s population will still not be vaccinated. The slow vaccination policy will not cure any pain.”

In the same article, another government expert, who specializes in medical biotechnology, acknowledged: “There are three or even four strains of this virus in our country and UK, African and even American strains are common today, but the most active virus is the UK coronavirus.”

The government expert went on to say: “We have not even been able to get one million doses of vaccine”. He warned the government: “If this situation is not corrected and the people’s livelihood is not taken into account, the atmosphere of the society will become a state of protest.”

‘Play with people’s nerves’, is the title of another article in Aftab-e-Yazd state daily, which admitted to the cause of chicken shortage and said that the government is exporting chickens produced for domestic consumption to fill its reverse its money deficiency. It wrote:

“Sometimes following the news and some words of the officials leads to the people’s end of patience and overflow of their fury. More than four months ago, the ban on exporting chicken was announced to the customs. Why has this circular not been seen and implemented until today? Why has this directive not been implemented? Who and how many chickens were exported during this period?”