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At least 22 people were arrested this Friday, May 13, in Iran, amid protests triggered by an increase of up to 300% in the price of bread and a variety of flour-based foods. The discontent of the population rises in a country where the official inflation rate is around 40% and at a time when wheat prices have increased considerably since the Russian war began in Ukraine, one of the main exporters of this grain to world level.
The weariness of the population in Iran increases. A series of protests erupted in several cities after a cut in government subsidies for imported wheat led to a sudden and exorbitant increase in the price of bread. Up to 300% increased the cost of flour-based foods.
Amid the protesters, some shops were set on fire, prompting the Iranian police to arrest at least 22 people, whom the authorities referred to as “provocative”.
But Iranians say they feel increasingly suffocated in a country where the official rate of inflation is around 40%, although some experts estimate it to be over 50%. In addition, nearly half of the nation’s 82 million people are now below the poverty line.
May 12 – Dorud, western #Iran
Scenes of ongoing protests as the streets are filled with smoke. Locals are angry about skyrocketing prices of basic necessities.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/s5SdsbvZzg— People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 12, 2022
The state-run IRNA news agency said 15 people were arrested in the southwestern city of Dezful in Khuzestan province and another seven in the city of Yasuj in southern Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad province.
“Despite the provocateurs’ attempts to incite, the demonstrations ended with the intervention of the security forces,” IRNA said, adding that the authorities restored order.
The largest protest took place in Dezful, an oil-rich area where, according to state media, some 300 people were dispersed by the forces.
Although what happened this Friday was the first recognition of the mobilizations by the official media of the Islamic Republic, videos published by users on social networks showed more protests in recent days in different cities, where attendees sang slogans against hikes. of prices and the leaders of the country.
Some of the demonstrations turned violent with protesters burning tires in the street and police firing tear gas to disperse them. However, the images have not been independently verified.
The war in Ukraine hits the price of food
The arrests and protests this Friday, May 13, follow Tehran’s announcement this week that the cost of cooking oil, chicken, eggs and milk would also rise sharply.
Wheat prices have increased strongly worldwide, including the Middle East, since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine on February 24.
Russian troops, who control important ports in the country, have created blockades and obstacles in the global supply chain from Ukraine, the main exporter of grains and other foods.
It was precisely against this background that on Thursday, May 12, the European Commission announced that it will work with the governments of the 27-country bloc to help Ukraine export millions of tons of grain trapped in the country.
Ukraine consolidated itself as the world’s fourth largest grain exporter between 2020 and 2021, according to data from the International Grain Council, after selling 44.7 million tons abroad, mainly to China, Africa and Europe. It is also one of the largest producers of sunflower oil.
Before Moscow began large-scale attacks on its neighboring country, 90% of cereals and sunflower oil were shipped through Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, a route now closed and besieged by the Kremlin Army. .
Problems getting grain out of Ukraine threaten to cause a food crisis, especially in poorer regions like Africa. “Twenty million tons of grain must leave Ukraine in less than three months using the EU’s infrastructure,” said EU Transport Commissioner Adina Valean.
The proposal of the Iranian Government
To try to cope with rising prices and strong citizen discontent, the Iranian government plans to offer digital coupons in the coming months for limited quantities of bread at subsidized prices, with other foods to be added later. The rest will be offered at market prices.
In the particular case of this country, the situation also adds to the withdrawal of government subsidies. Iranian officials have also blamed heavily subsidized bread smuggling to neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan, which has skyrocketed as famine spreads across the region.
The Islamic Republic imports half of its cooking oil from Ukraine, where fighting has prevented many farmers from working the fields, and it also buys almost half of its wheat from Russia.
In addition, the drought is already devastating Iran’s economy, and Western sanctions over the nation’s nuclear program have caused additional hardship. Youth unemployment remains high and inflation has skyrocketed to at least 40%, its highest level since 1994, a scenario that envisions a difficult situation for its population that will not end in the short term.
With Reuters and AP
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