Iran's internal crises deepen amid escalating war

Iran is grappling with a convergence of internal crises that intensify alongside its ongoing five-month war with the United States. Beyond the external conflict, the nation faces mounting challenges including public executions, a rising cost of living, alleged bias in state broadcasting, and even the destruction of pavements outside liberal-leaning cafes.

President Masoud Pezeshkian has repeatedly warned that the conditions fueling widespread discontent remain potent. He argues that the primary battlefield is now economic, stating, "The most important battlefield today is the economy and livelihood of the people." Pezeshkian fears that if economic pressures lead to social unrest, the "enormous social capital that the people have created in support of the system will be lost."

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Iran is engaged in a full-scale war. Today’s war is not just a war of missiles; the enemy has come to the conclusion that it cannot force the Iranian nation to surrender through military attacks. The most important battlefield today is the economy and livelihood of the people. If economic pressures cause social discontent to form and this discontent spreads, the enormous social capital that the people have created in support of the system will be lost.

Evidence of this dissent manifests as despair and a sense of weary resignation. Human rights activist Golshan Fathi described a grim daily cycle: "The same sick cycle repeats… morning… the call to prayer, news of an execution… noon with power cuts, afternoon the water stops… dusk, the anxiety of war and renewed attacks on cities, and at midnight, the earth trembles."

Fathi's poignant social media post captures the pervasive feeling of being trapped: "Caught between natural disasters, management failures, and man-made crises… every day we don’t live, we just practice enduring. Repetition, repetition, repetition… until a weary land no longer asks, ‘What will tomorrow bring?’ It just waits to see, ‘When will the next crisis arrive?’" This sentiment reflects a population enduring a relentless series of hardships, both natural and man-made, amidst a backdrop of geopolitical tension.

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The same sick cycle repeats … morning … the call to prayer, news of an execution … noon with power cuts, afternoon the water stops … dusk, the anxiety of war and renewed attacks on cities, and at midnight, the earth trembles. And tomorrow, the same story again. Caught between natural disasters, management failures, and man-made crises … every day we don’t live, we just practice enduring. Repetition, repetition, repetition … until a weary land no longer asks, ‘What will tomorrow bring?’ It just waits to see, ‘When will the next crisis arrive?’