By and Aida Karimi
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the United States’ maritime blockade of Iranian ports has contributed to “shortages in some areas” and price increases in the country.
Araghchi said the war and the US blockade made it “considerably more difficult” to import goods into the country, adding that this was “nevertheless accomplished and we genuinely managed to meet the country’s needs.”
His comments were aired after Iranian state-affiliated media said earlier this week that many working-class families in the country are unable to afford basic food items, with inflation rates reaching “alarming levels.”
Iran’s economy was in a poor state before the war too, with dire economic conditions a key driving factor behind the anti-regime demonstrations which kicked off in the Iranian capital Tehran in 2025.
Araghchi said in the interview that, due to the US maritime blockade, Iran obtained some essential goods via neighboring countries using “overland routes and other channels.”
