Recent reports from inside Iran paint a grim picture of a nation struggling under the weight of economic collapse, with the crisis hitting hardest in the most basic aspect of daily life: food. As the regime continues to funnel national resources into regional militarism and its costly nuclear ambitions, ordinary Iranians are facing an escalating battle just to afford a single meal.
A report published by the Ham Mihan newspaper, titled “They Want Food and Have No Money”, documents the rising number of Iranians who are unable to purchase even the simplest food items. Many are forced to rely on credit or beg for free meals. Incidents of petty food theft—bread, fruit, sandwiches, chicken—have risen sharply over the past year in cities across the country. Vendors in Tehran report that even a modest price increase of 10,000 tomans risks driving away already struggling customers.
The report opens with the story of a mother and daughter who entered a restaurant on Khayyam Street in Tehran but walked out after hearing the price of a Bandari sausage sandwich. According to the vendor, such scenes are increasingly common—so much so that the number of customers who leave empty-handed after seeing prices has risen by 20 to 30 percent in the past month.
On June 1, following the regime’s decision to increase the price of flour, Mehr News Agency reported that the price of industrial bread had surged by approximately 84 percent between January and June 2025. Prices for traditional bread, such as Sangak, now reach 25,000 tomans per loaf, while a package of baguettes costs 35,000 tomans—prices well beyond the reach of many households.
Despite the fact that over 70 percent of Iran’s grain supply is imported, the regime has exacerbated inflation by eliminating the preferential exchange rate of 28,500 tomans for grain imports. As a result, food prices have skyrocketed. In one example, a spokesperson for the Tehran Food Bankers’ Union reported a staggering 200 percent increase in the price of beans within just two months.
This dire situation comes as the regime approved a daily minimum wage of just 346,000 tomans for workers in 2025—insufficient even to buy two kilos of Iranian rice. Simultaneously, the cost of essential medicines has surged sixfold, according to a report by ILNA, leaving many retirees and workers unable to afford treatment for themselves or their families.
Even the most basic staples—potatoes and onions—have seen uncontrolled price hikes, and despite public pressure, the regime has failed to stabilize prices. Ham Mihan describes an increase in food-related theft, citing unprecedented levels of desperation among the population. Vendors report that customers are now purchasing smaller portions, asking for the simplest meals, or even coming in only for a bowl of broth.
Around Ferdowsi Square, a fast-food chain manager notes that more people are buying food on credit, with some returning the next day to pay the remaining 10,000 tomans. Others, too ashamed to admit their financial hardship, ask quietly for free food. Similar stories are heard from food outlets on Jomhouri Street and Valiasr Crossroads.
International assessments echo the domestic alarm. According to the latest report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Iran ranks 90th globally in malnutrition. Inside the country, Mohammad Ismail Motlaq, head of the Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Health and Food Security, has warned that eight provinces are in a critical state regarding the nutritional health of their populations.
Economist Mohammad Sadeq Mashayek offers a stark warning: poverty is now so extreme that “children are finding their food in the trash.” He attributes the crisis to the total irresponsibility of the regime’s leadership. According to Mashayek, poverty is eroding Iran’s social stability. Instead of fostering economic growth, the regime’s mismanagement has fueled corruption and smuggling. He cautions that unchecked poverty, growing inequality, and systemic corruption are pushing the country dangerously close to a social explosion.
As the regime pursues policies that ignore the urgent needs of its citizens, Iran’s food crisis has become a symbol of deeper structural failure—a warning sign that the cost of repression and mismanagement is no longer sustainable for millions of Iranians.
