EVERYDAY PRICES SPIKE
The rial plummeted to about 1.12 million per US dollar on the black market on Sunday morning before recovering slightly to 1.1 million, according to currency-tracking websites.
One kilogram of meat now costs 10 million rials (almost US$10), Moradi said — a steep sum for those earning the minimum wage.
“How can a family survive?” he asked.
For Amir-Abbas, a 19-year-old student wearing an Iron Maiden T-shirt, the price of his guitar had risen tenfold in recent years.
“It was 30 million rials when I bought it; now it’s 300 million (less than US$300) because we can’t import anymore,” he said, adding that medicine was also becoming harder to afford.
Company, who recently returned to Iran after years abroad, warned that ordinary citizens would bear the brunt of the sanctions.
“Prices, the dollar, gold — everything will rise. People won’t be able to live a normal life,” she said. “Crime and child labour may increase. I’m even considering leaving again.”
Despite the hardship, Helia said she still held onto optimism.
“We’ve lived through the dollar at 100,000 rials, now it’s 1,100,000 rials, and we’re still standing,” she said. “We live on hope. And that hope is still there.”
