Iranian lawmaker rips into Raisi administration over runaway inflation

Shahriar Haydari, who sits on the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told Rooydad 24 news outlet on Monday that inflation “is rising by the day and there seems to be no ‘containment of inflation and growth in production levels.’”

He was referring to the motto of the year as determined by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on New Year’s Day.

Haydari compared the Raisi administration to that of former President Hassan Rouhani and said the incumbent has fared “by far better than the previous administration in terms of resources and revenue.”

“Except that the former administration was able to contain inflation to some extent and enhance livelihoods, but this administration… has not,” the Iranian lawmaker said.

“These are clear instances of how the former administration had capable managers and this one has incompetent ones.”

Raisi has said his administration’s main plan is to control inflation and bring about sustainable economic growth.

His administration has set the tackling of inflation and currency devaluation in Iran as priorities for the 2023-2024 budget presented to the Parliament.

Still, an Iranian daily that is said to be close to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf recently cited official records to say that the inflation rate in Iran set a new record high of 45.8% in March.