Tehran: A senior aide to President Masoud Pezeshkian has highlighted the severe impact of prolonged foreign sanctions and internal policies on Iran's socioeconomic landscape, emphasizing a shift in poverty from an isolated issue to a widespread societal challenge.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Ali Rabiei, President Pezeshkian's assistant on social affairs, addressed a forum on poverty, expressing concerns about the detrimental effects of sanctions that have persisted over the years. Rabiei remarked, "Sanctions have turned poverty from the exception into the rule," and raised moral questions about those who viewed sanctions as beneficial. He criticized policies that delayed the lifting of these sanctions, attributing them to the extensive poverty now prevalent in the country.

In an unusual admission, Rabiei also pointed to a growing sense of inequality within Iran's population. He referenced the protests that broke out after the death of an Iranian woman in police custody in 2022, noting that the initial protestors were motivated by a desire for self-expression. This movement, he said, eventually included individuals driven by more fundamental needs and values, including survival.

President Pezeshkian, who secured victory in the 2024 election on a platform of uniting various political factions, continues to promote his administration's policy of "national solidarity." However, he has publicly expressed frustration over internal political discord and certain factions he believes obstruct Iran's ability to engage more effectively on the international stage.