Im impressed by these simple folk who just tell the truth, if only the leaders would listen. Sadly America is no better sometimes. Greed
In Tehran's Laleh park, retired school teacher Zahra Ghasemi criticized the government for blaming "every problem" on U.S. sanctions.
She says she has trouble paying for her basic livelihood. The price of a bottle of milk has doubled, along with that of vegetables and fruit.
"We are dying under these pressures and a lack of solutions from officials," Ghasemi said.
Years of popular frustration with failed economic policies triggered protests in late 2017, which early the following year spiraled into anti-government demonstrations across dozens of cities and towns.
The current problems take root in Iran's faltering efforts to privatize its state-planned economy after the devastating war with Iraq in the 1980s, which saw 1 million people killed.
But Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said earlier this month that the crunch on oil exports is hitting harder today than during the 1980s war, when Saddam Hussein's forces targeted Iran's oil trade.
"Our situation is worse than during the war," Zanganeh said. "We did not have such an export problem when Saddam was targeting our industrial units. Now, we cannot export oil labeled Iran."
Still, many Iranians pin the economic crisis on corruption as much as anything else.
"Our problem is the embezzlers and thieves in the government," said Nasrollah Pazouki, who has sold clothes in Tehran's Grand Bazaar since before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. "When people come to power, instead of working sincerely and seriously for the people, we hear and read after a few months in newspapers that they have stolen billions and fled."
He added: "Whose money is that? It's the people's money."