Rouhani on Economic Situation: Fortunately, We Have No Shortages

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, stated that the country has no shortages in terms of foreign currency, food, and other necessities for the people, and that the public should only trust in the future. Rouhani's remarks were made on Friday, June 15, during a meeting between Islamic Republic officials and Ali Khamenei, the leader of Iran. He stated, "Fortunately, we do not have any shortages that would cause suffering in society; rather, we need future trust. There is no shortage of rials in the country, nor is there a shortage of foreign currency, and more than ever, food and necessities for the people are available." These statements come amidst fluctuations in the prices of the dollar and euro in Iran's currency market, which have impacted other economic and social sectors, leading to price increases for many goods and services and making it difficult for some individuals below the poverty line to access their needs. In this context, Abbas Araqchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, recently mentioned that the supply of nearly "30 types of medicine" in the country is facing difficulties. In May, Meysam Ramazani, the head of the Iranian Thalassemia Association, reported the deaths of 93 thalassemia patients due to "cardiac complications" resulting from not receiving medication or receiving "low-quality" drugs. Nevertheless, Rouhani added on Friday that "in terms of food supplies, wheat, sugar, and other necessities are secured, but what needs to be secured is greater unity among the people." Following the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran, Washington's sanctions against Tehran, which had been lifted, are being re-implemented, affecting Iran's currency market and its exports and imports. The Iranian President also stated that "certainly, the Iranian nation will not allow" the U.S., Israel, and their allies to "stand against us and try to close the nation's trade routes and impose political and economic pressures on the nation." According to the Iranian President, "this year, $17 billion has been allocated to meet the needs of all producers and importers, and to create stability in the coin market, 7 million and 600 thousand coins have been sold to the public." The price of Bahar Azadi coins has seen a continuous upward trend in recent months, exceeding two million and five hundred thousand tomans, but the head of Iran's Central Bank insists that "there is no shortage in the coin market" and that only "psychological issues" and "exaggeration of certain matters" have led to the increase in coin prices. Valiollah Seif stated that in recent months, with the implementation of the pre-sale plan for coins, "more than seven million coins have been pre-sold, which will quickly enter the market." In this situation, the foreign currency rate is also experiencing unprecedented increases. Reports from the Tehran market indicate that the price of the dollar reached 7,500 tomans and the euro reached 8,400 tomans on Wednesday. Iran witnessed popular protests in about one hundred cities last winter. These protests initially targeted the economic policies of Hassan Rouhani's government but quickly shifted to target the Islamic Republic and its leader, Ali Khamenei, alongside Rouhani. These protests were suppressed by the Islamic Republic.