Up to 50 million Iranians are struggling to obtain enough food, while eight million face absolute poverty and malnutrition following the mishandling of a subsidy reform, a senior lawmaker said Sunday.
Ali Babai Karamani, head of parliament's Social Affairs Committee, told Didban Iran that the removal of the preferential exchange rate of 285,000 rials per dollar was intended to preserve access to subsidized essential goods.
Babai Karamani said poor implementation had left large sections of the population unable to obtain enough food to meet their daily calorie needs.
Iran's Guards warn tankers as Houthis target Riyadh
Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned ships against cooperating with US forces after reporting three tankers on fire in the Strait of Hormuz, while Houthis targeted Saudi Arabia and Israel warned of unfinished operations against Iran on Sunday.
The Revolutionary Guards said three oil tankers caught fire after taking what they described as an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Guards linked the fires to vessels disabling their navigation and identification systems and cooperating with US forces, warning that ships defying transit rules and accompanying the US military would face similar consequences.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations center separately reported that a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile while sailing outbound through the strait on Saturday. All crew members were safe, and no environmental damage was reported.
UKMTO also received a report of another tanker catching fire near Oman's Musandam Peninsula, prompting the evacuation of its crew. Authorities were investigating both reports.
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia
Saudi-led coalition forces intercepted two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh by Yemen's Houthis, followed by two cruise missiles targeting Riyadh and southern Saudi Arabia, according to coalition statements. (Read More)
