How has life changed for Iranians six months into the war?
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- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated in US-Israeli strikes that launched the war on February 28, with his son Mojtaba Khamenei installed as supreme leader but kept out of the public eye.
- The war has killed more than 3,500 people in Iran and destroyed large parts of civilian infrastructure, though Iran's military and political establishment has refused ideological concessions.
- Inflation ran 89% higher year-on-year in the month ending August 22, with food inflation above 127%, while the rial hit an all-time low of 2.06 million per US dollar on Saturday.
- Iran reached an understanding with Oman on opening a Strait of Hormuz transit route — where sea traffic is a trickle of pre-war levels — but the Trump administration reportedly opposes any partial deal and wants full unrestricted reopening.
- Data analyst Bijan, 33, saw his salary drop from over $1,000 to less than $500 per month after three raises, telling Al Jazeera: "Nobody thought the situation would get this bad."
- The Pezeshkian government has reduced fuel quotas and intends to raise petrol prices within weeks ahead of expected winter natural gas shortages at one of the world's most resource-rich countries.
- Iranian authorities shut down more cafes, ice cream shops, and private online vendors over alleged noncompliance with Islamic norms, while the judiciary continues announcing new weekly executions including people arrested during the 12-day war in June 2025.
Why it matters: For Iran's 90 million people, purchasing power has collapsed: inflation at 89%, food above 127%, and the rial at 2.06 million per dollar while salaries like Bijan's have effectively halved in three years. Looming petrol hikes, winter gas shortages, and Washington's opposition to Iran's partial Hormuz deal leave even modest economic relief out of reach — and the establishment shows no sign of ideological compromise to change that.
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