Beset by inflation, Iranians struggle with high food prices
ABC News
As U.S. sanctions strangle Iran's economy, record inflation is causing stunned shoppers in the country to cut meat and dairy from their diets and to purchase less each month
TEHRAN, Iran -- Mehdi Dolatyari watched with dread in recent months as once-affordable goods at his central Tehran supermarket soared out of reach for his customers. Iranians who previously bought sacks of staple foods at the store now struggle to scrape together enough for meals, as the country’s currency sinks to new lows against the dollar.
“Rice is awfully expensive,” Dolatyari said, describing how its price has nearly doubled.
With U.S. sanctions still strangling the economy, record-breaking inflation has hit ordinary Iranians where it hurts most. Stunned shoppers are cutting meat and dairy from their diets, buying less and less each month.
The Iranian rial is now about 270,000 to the dollar — compared with 32,000 rials for $1 at the time of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. That has decimated people’s salaries and savings.
