Aug 24 (CNN/GNA) – Iran, already drained by years of sanctions and a brutal military onslaught from the United States and Israel, now faces another test as President Donald Trump moves to further tighten the economic screws on the Islamic Republic.
The US is preparing measures, to be revealed at a news conference later on Monday, of what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promises to be “the toughest sanctions in history” amid deadlock on talks to end the six-month war and as Iran continues inflicting global economic pain by disrupting shipping through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
By the admission of its own top officials, Iranians are suffering.
“We are apologetic that these problems exist, as we find ourselves in a full-scale economic, military, and security war,” Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to state media.
“As the government, we are seeking with all our being to steer inflation, public problems, people’s livelihoods, people’s jobs, people’s future, and people’s lives towards dignity and pride,” he added.
Videos on social media published last week showed empty markets in Tehran and Karaj, with sellers complaining that their fresh produce is not being bought. One resident of Tehran and another business owner told CNN that economic pressures have become “untenable.”
Not only is everything expensive, Nima, a 36-year-old resident of Tehran, told CNN, but some of the “important things needed we can’t even get, like certain medications.”
GNA/Credit: CNN