{"id":317605,"date":"2024-03-23T20:31:55","date_gmt":"2024-03-23T19:31:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=317605"},"modified":"2025-11-04T19:47:55","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T18:47:55","slug":"khameneis-economic-hypocrisy-from-rhetoric-to-reality-in-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/economy\/khameneis-economic-hypocrisy-from-rhetoric-to-reality-in-iran\/","title":{"rendered":"Khamenei’s Economic Hypocrisy: From Rhetoric to Reality in Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FILE PHOTO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

On March 20, 2024, the Iranian regime\u2019s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, delivered his Nowruz speech. Despite Khamenei\u2019s attempts to twist the truth, his message showcased Iran\u2019s financial calamity due to the regime\u2019s corruption and wrong policies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe country\u2019s fundamental weak point is the economy,\u201d Khamenei said<\/a>, acknowledging the country\u2019s economic crunch. Yet, he contradicted himself by claiming that \u201cRegarding last year’s slogan, \u2018controlling inflation and increasing production\u2019 many good actions were taken. Of course, it was not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Khamenei emphasized the importance of production, stating, “The issue of production is very important. Thus, I emphasize it and expect to see a surge in production this year, and of course, this wouldn\u2019t happen without people\u2019s participation.” He further suggested that the regime should “popularize the economy and increase people\u2019s participation.”<\/p>\n

Khamenei\u2019s speech echoed with rhetoric but lacked substance. As Reuters revealed<\/a> in 2013, Khamenei controls a vast $90 billion financial empire, accumulated through usurping people\u2019s wealth. Yet, he only offers recommendations. In April 2019, the Daily Sabbah quoted US officials<\/a> as estimating his wealth at around $200 billion. The true extent of his wealth remains one of the state’s most guarded secrets, likely surpassing current estimates.<\/p>\n

Besides, Khamenei cloaks his true intention of entrusting the remaining facets of Iran\u2019s economy and the country\u2019s income streams to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), under the guise of \u201cpopularizing the economy.\u201d Attempts to genuinely popularize Iran\u2019s economy are indeed unattainable, as the country\u2019s resources are monopolized and plundered by the IRGC and Khamenei\u2019s affiliated financial institutions.<\/p>\n

For years, Khamenei allowed his goons to devastate Iran\u2019s economy under the pretext of the \u201cprivate sector.\u201d\u00a0 The terms “private sector” or providing economic opportunities to “people” are euphemisms wielded by Khamenei to signify the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and its economic powerhouses, in addition to the paramount conglomerate of the regime’s Supreme Leader. Any business aspiring to wield significant economic influence in Iran must establish connections with the IRGC.<\/p>\n

In 2020, amidst the growth and eventual burst of the Stock Market bubble<\/a>, Ali Khamenei backed his president Hassan Rouhani’s plan, encouraging investment in domestic goods and productive ventures like cooperatives and stock exchanges. Despite warnings from regime economists of an imminent burst, fueled by Rouhani’s government’s methods, some individuals heavily invested, causing the stock market index to soar to 2 million points by July 2020. Yet the bubble growth rapidly burst, leaving many Iranian investors destitute, while allowing Rouhani\u2019s government to compensate for its budget deficit and the IRGC to sell shares of imaginary enterprises.<\/p>\n

So, when Khamenei speaks of \u201ceconomic opportunities\u201d and \u201cpopularizing the economy,\u201d he implies further plundering and increased poverty for Iranians.<\/p>\n

“The cost of fruits and vegetables has risen by 100-200% over the past two years, while the prices of white and red meat have surged more than fourfold compared to summer 2021,” reported the state-run Setareh Sobh Daily<\/a> on March 11, 2023.<\/p>\n

Recent reports indicate that red meat prices have surged by 82% compared to the previous year, reflecting the ongoing challenges faced by Iranian consumers. The inflation rate for a basket of essential daily needs is nearly 40%, while overall inflation for retail food prices continued to stand north of 50% throughout the year.<\/p>\n

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Ali Khamenei delivered his annual speech on March 21. Aside from his bogus claims of victory and blaming Iran\u2019s social and economic crises on \u201cthe enemies,\u201d Khamenei\u2019s speech was an obvious testament to the regime\u2019s deficiencies and crises.#IranRevoIution<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/ua4L7bXlWW<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) March 24, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n