A dignified life is a ‘distant dream’ for many Iranian families amid US war

Younger Iranians say a stable, dignified life is slipping farther out of reach as economic decline accelerates under layers of domestic mismanagement and external pressure. People born in the 1980s long viewed themselves as a "burned generation" shaped by the upheaval after the 1979 revolution; those coming of age more recently now face job scarcity, runaway prices and restricted mobility that many say are worse than those earlier decades.

Household stories illustrate the strain. A 23-year-old in eastern Tehran, who asked to remain anonymous, described his family’s monthly income as about 800 million rials (roughly $350 at the current exchange rate) after state subsidies, while essential costs keep rising. His pensioner father supplements income with ride-hailing work and a worn 15-year-old car, his retired mother does sewing at home, and the family limits meat purchases to every six to eight weeks.

Macro indicators mirror those pressures. By late August, year-on-year inflation reached 89 percent and food inflation exceeded 127 percent, according to the Statistical Center of Iran. The national currency plunged to a record low above 1.37 million rials per US dollar in Tehran’s open market before easing to about 1.31 million after reports of a possible understanding with Oman on limited transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, a maritime blockade has halted most Iranian oil exports and US sanctions plus regional tensions have disrupted air, land and rail routes.

Officials and analysts warn the current ‘‘no war, no peace’’ environment is compounding uncertainty. President Masoud Pezeshkian and others have said they want to end that stalemate because it undermines economic planning. Economist Behnam Samadi told Al Jazeera that persistent instability pushes households to protect purchasing power rather than plan long term, prompts businesses to prioritize risk management over new investment, and forces the government to divert resources to support and crisis response. As a result, many families are cutting spending on leisure, education and healthcare while reliance on credit and installment purchases grows.