The United Nations reimposed nuclear sanctions on Iran today, putting new pressure on Tehran’s ailing economy as tensions remain high in the wider Mideast over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered a last-ditch effort to try to halt the sanctions at the UN General Assembly met this week in New York.

Efforts by China and Russia to stop the sanctions failed as well.

Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, at the United Nations General Assembly. (AP)

The clock started when France, Germany and the United Kingdom on August 28 declared Iran wasn’t complying with its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Here’s a timeline of the tensions over Iran’s atomic program:

Early days

1967 — Iran takes possession of its Tehran Research Reactor under America’s “Atoms for Peace” program.

1979 — US ally Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, fatally ill, flees Iran as popular protests against him surge.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran and the Islamic Revolution sweeps him to power.

Students seize the United States Embassy in Tehran, beginning the 444-day hostage crisis.

Iran’s nuclear program goes fallow under international pressure.

August 2002 — Western intelligence services and an Iranian opposition group reveal Iran’s secret Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.

June 2003 — Britain, France and Germany engage Iran in nuclear negotiations.

October 2003 — Iran suspends uranium enrichment under international pressure.

February 2006 — Iran announces it will restart uranium enrichment following the election of hard-line president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Britain, France and Germany walk out of stalled negotiations.

June 2009 — Iran’s disputed presidential election sees Ahmadinejad reelected despite fraud allegations, sparking protests known as the Green Movement and a violent government crackdown.

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Iran takes possession of its Tehran Research Reactor under America’s “Atoms for Peace” program. (AP)

October 2009 — Under US President Barack Obama, the US and Iran open a secret back-channel for messages in the sultanate of Oman.

July 2012 — US and Iranian officials hold secret face-to-face talks in Oman.

July 2015 — World powers and Iran announce a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limits Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

The nuclear deal collapses

May 8, 2018 — Trump unilaterally withdraws the US from the nuclear agreement, calling it the “worst deal ever”.

He says he’ll get better terms in new negotiations to stop Iran’s missile development and support for regional militias.

Those talks don’t happen in his first term.

May 8, 2019 — Iran announces it will begin backing away from the accord.

A series of regional attacks on land and at sea blamed on Tehran follow.

January 3, 2020 — A US drone strike in Baghdad kills General Qassem Soleimani, the architect of Tehran’s proxy wars in the Middle East.

January 8, 2020 — In retaliation for Soleimani’s killing, Iran launches a barrage of missiles at military bases in Iraq that are home to thousands of American and Iraqi troops.

More than 100 US service members suffer traumatic brain injuries, according to the Pentagon.

As Iran braces for a counterattack, the Revolutionary Guard shoots down a Ukrainian passenger plane shortly after takeoff from Tehran’s international airport, reportedly mistaking it for a US cruise missile.

All 176 people on board are killed.

The 62-year-old General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, was killed by an armed American drone. (AP)

July 2, 2020 — A mysterious explosion tears apart a centrifuge production plant at Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Iran blames the attack on archenemy Israel.

April 6, 2021 — Iran and the US under president Joe Biden begin indirect negotiations in Vienna over how to restore the nuclear deal.

Those talks, and others between Tehran and European nations, fail to reach any agreement.

April 11, 2021 — A second attack within a year targets Iran’s Natanz nuclear site, again likely carried out by Israel.

April 16, 2021 — Iran begins enriching uranium up to 60 per cent — its highest purity ever and a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.

February 24, 2022 — Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow ultimately will come to rely on Iranian bomb-carrying drones in the conflict, as well as missiles.

July 17, 2022 — An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Kamal Kharrazi, says Iran is technically capable of making a nuclear bomb, but has not decided whether to build one.

Mideast wars rage

October 7, 2023 — Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip storm into Israel, killing around 1200 people and taking 251 others hostage, beginning the most intense war ever between Israel and Hamas.

Iran, which has armed Hamas, offers support to the militants.

Regional tensions spike.

November 19, 2023 — Yemen’s Houthi rebels, long supported by Iran, seize the ship Galaxy Leader, beginning a monthslong campaign of attacks on shipping through the Red Sea corridor that the US Navy describes as the most intense combat it has seen since World War II.

The attacks mirror tactics earlier used by Iran.

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Israeli soldiers look at destructed buildings in the Northern Gaza Strip. (Getty)

April 14, 2024 — Iran launches an unprecedented direct attack on Israel, firing over 300 missiles and attack drones. Israel, working with a US-led international coalition, intercepts much of the incoming fire.

April 19, 2024 — A suspected Israeli strike hits an air defence system by an airport in Isfahan, Iran.

July 31, 2024 — Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader, is assassinated during a visit to Tehran after the inauguration of reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian. Israel later takes responsibility for the assassination.

September 27, 2024 — An Israeli airstrike kills Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon.

October 1, 2024 — Iran launches its second direct attack on Israel, though a US-led coalition and Israel shoot down most of the missiles.

October 16, 2024 — Israel kills Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip.

October 26, 2024 — Israel openly attacks Iran for the first time, striking air defence systems and sites associated with its missile program.

Trump returns — and reaches out

January 20, 2025 — Trump is inaugurated for his second term as president.

February 7, 2025 — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says proposed talks with the US are “not intelligent, wise or honourable”.

March 7, 2025 — Trump says he sent a letter to Khamenei seeking a new nuclear deal with Tehran.

March 15, 2025 — Trump launches intense airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen, the last members of Iran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance” capable of daily attacks.

April 7, 2025 — Trump announces the US and Iran will hold direct talks in Oman.

Iran says they’ll be indirect talks, but confirms the meeting.

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Donald Trump takes the oath of office as his wife Melania and his children look on during inauguration ceremonies. (Getty)

April 12, 2025 — The first round of talks between Iran and the US take place in Oman, ending with a promise to hold more talks after US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi “briefly spoke” together.

April 19, 2025 — The second round of talks between the US and Iran are held in Rome.

April 26, 2025 — Iran and the US meet in Oman a third time, but the negotiations include talks at the expert level for the first time.

May 11, 2025 — Iran and the US meet in Oman for a fourth round of negotiations ahead of Trump’s trip to the Mideast.

May 23, 2025 — Iran and the US meet in Rome for a fifth round of talks, with Oman saying the negotiations made “some but not conclusive progress”.

The Iran-Israel war begins

June 9, 2025 — Iran signals it won’t accept a US proposal over the nuclear program.

June 12, 2025 — The Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency finds Iran in noncompliance with its nuclear obligations.

Iran responds by announcing it has built and will activate a third nuclear enrichment facility.

June 13, 2025 — Israel launches its war against Iran.

Over 12 days, it hits nuclear and military sites, as well as other government installations.

June 22, 2025 — The US intervenes in the war, attacking three Iranian nuclear sites.

June 23, 2025 — Iran responds to the US attack by targeting a military base in Qatar used by American troops, causing limited damage.

June 24, 2025 — Trump announces a ceasefire in the war.

July 25, 2025 — Iranian and European diplomats hold talks in Istanbul over Iran’s nuclear program.

Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, takes questions from the media at a press briefing in New York. (AP)

August 8, 2025 — France, Germany and the United Kingdom warn Iran in a letter that it will reimplement UN sanctions if there is no “satisfactory solution” to the nuclear standoff by August 31.

August 28, 2025 — France, Germany and the United Kingdom say they’ve started the process to “snapback” UN sanctions on Iran.

September 9, 2025 — Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency reach a deal over potentially starting inspections, but questions remain over its implementation.

September 19, 2025 — UN Security Council declines to stop “snapback” sanctions on Iran.

September 26, 2025 — UN Security Council rejects China and Russia’s last-minute effort to stop “snapback.”

September 28, 2025 — UN reimposes “snapback” sanctions on Iran barring any last-minute diplomacy.

Iran has condemned as “legally baseless and unjustifiable ” the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear programme, after failed negotations with Western powers and Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear sites.

The measures, which bar dealings linked to the Islamic republic’s nuclear and ballistic missile activities, took effect overnight after Western powers triggered the so-called “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 nuclear accord.

“The reactivation of annulled resolutions is legally baseless and unjustifiable… all countries must refrain from recognising this illegal situation,” the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will firmly defend its national rights and interests, and any action aimed at undermining the rights and interests of its people will face a firm and appropriate response,” it added.

New diplomatic solution needed

The return of the sanctions ends months of tense diplomacy aimed at reviving nuclear talks derailed since June, when Israeli and US forces bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.

Despite the reimposition, Western leaders stressed channels for dialogue remained open.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Iran to “accept direct talks, held in good faith”.

He also called on UN member states to “immediately” implement sanctions to “pressure Iran’s leaders to do what is right for their nation, and best for the safety of the world”.

The British, French and German foreign ministers said in a joint statement they would continue to seek “a new diplomatic solution to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon”.

They also called on Tehran “to refrain from any escalatory action”.

Iran says Europeans have no right to reimpose sanctions for nuclear programme

‘No choice’

Iran had allowed UN inspectors to return to its nuclear sites, but President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States had offered only a short reprieve in return for handing over its whole stockpile of enriched uranium, a proposal he described as unacceptable.

An 11th-hour effort by Iran allies Russia and China to postpone the sanctions until April failed to win enough votes in the Security Council on Friday, leading to the measures taking effect at 3:30 am in Tehran (0000 GMT) on Sunday.

Germany, which triggered the return of sanctions alongside Britain and France, had “no choice” as Iran was not complying with its obligations, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said.

“For us, it is imperative: Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon,” he told the UN General Assembly.

“But let me emphasise: we remain open to negotiations on a new agreement. Diplomacy can and should continue.”

Russia made clear it would not enforce the sanctions, considering them invalid.

The sanctions “finally exposed the West’s policy of sabotaging the pursuit of constructive solutions in the UN Security Council, as well as its desire to extract unilateral concessions from Tehran through blackmail and pressure,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Iran has long contended that it is not seeking nuclear weapons.

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Economic impact

The sanctions are a “snapback” of measures frozen in 2015 when Iran agreed to major restrictions on its nuclear programme under a deal negotiated by former president Barack Obama.

The United States already imposed massive sanctions, including trying to force all countries to shun Iranian oil, when President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in his first term.

Iran and the United States had held several rounds of Omani-brokered talks earlier this year before they collapsed in June when first Israel and then the United States attacked Iranian nuclear facilities.

Iran recalled its envoys from Britain, France and Germany for consultations on Saturday, state television reported.

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On the ground, Iranians lamented the likely impact of the new sanctions on an already squeezed economy.

“The current (economic) situation was already very difficult, but it’s going to get worse,” said an Iranian engineer who asked to be identified only by his first name Dariush.

“The impact of the renewed sanctions is already evident: the exchange rate is increasing, and this is leading to higher prices,” the 50-year-old said, complaining that the standard of living is “much lower” than it was two or three years ago.

The economic strain was underscored on Sunday when the Iranian rial plunged to a record low against the US dollar on the black market, trading at around 1.12 million per dollar, according to the currency-tracking websites Bonbast and AlanChand.

(with AFP)

The United Nations reimposed sanctions on Iran early Sunday over its nuclear program, further squeezing the Islamic Republic as its people increasingly find themselves priced out of the food they need to survive and worried about their futures.

The sanctions will again freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran, and penalize any development of Iran’s ballistic missile program, among other measures. It came via a mechanism known as “snapback,” included in Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, and comes as Iran’s economy already is reeling.

Iran’s rial currency sits at a record low, increasing pressure on food prices and making daily life that much more challenging. That includes meat, rice and other staples of the Iranian dinner table.

Meanwhile, people worry about a new round of fighting between Iran and Israel — as well as potentially the U.S. — as missile sites struck during the 12-day war in June now appear to be being rebuilt.

Activists fear a rising wave of repression within the Islamic Republic, which already has reportedly executed more people this year than over the past three decades.

Sina, the father of a 12-year-old boy who spoke on condition that only his first name be used for fear of repercussions, said the country has never faced such a challenging time, even during the deprivations of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war and the decades of sanctions that came later.

“For as long as I can remember, we’ve been struggling with economic hardship, and every year it’s worse than the last,” Sina told The Associated Press. “For my generation, it’s always either too late or too early — our dreams are slipping away.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks with Fox News Channel’s Martha MacCallum during an interview on Sept. 25, 2025, in New York City. John Lamparski / Getty Images

Snapback was designed to be veto-proof at the U.N. Security Council, meaning China and Russia could not stop it alone, as they have other proposed actions against Tehran in the past. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called them a “trap” for Iran on Saturday.

France, Germany and the United Kingdom triggered snapback over Iran 30 days ago for its further restricting monitoring of its nuclear program and the deadlock over its negotiations with the U.S.

Iran further withdrew from the International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring after Israel’s war with the country in June, which also saw the U.S. strike nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, the country still maintains a stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% — that is largely enough to make several atomic bombs, should Tehran choose to rush toward weaponization.

Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though the West and IAEA say Tehran had an organized weapons program up until 2003.

The three European nations on Sunday said they “continuously made every effort to avoid triggering snapback.” But Iran “has not authorized IAEA inspectors to regain access to Iran’s nuclear sites, nor has it produced and transmitted to the IAEA a report accounting for its stockpile of high-enriched uranium.”

Tehran has further argued that the three European nations shouldn’t be allowed to implement snapback, pointing in part to America’s unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018, during the first term of President Trump’s administration.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the three European nations for “an act of decisive global leadership” for imposing the sanctions on Iran and said “diplomacy is still an option.”

“For that to happen, Iran must accept direct talks,” Rubio said.

However, it remains unclear how Tehran will respond Sunday.

“The Trump administration appears to think it has a stronger hand post-strikes, and it can wait for Iran to come back to the table,” said Kelsey Davenport, a nuclear expert at the Washington-based Arms Control Association. “Given the knowledge Iran has, given the materials that remain in Iran, that’s a very dangerous assumption.”

Risks also remain for Iran as well, she added: “In the short term, kicking out the IAEA increases the risk of miscalculation. The U.S. or Israel could use the lack of inspections as a pretext for further strikes.”

The aftermath of the June war drove up food prices in Iran, putting already expensive meat out of reach for poorer families.

Iran’s government put overall annual inflation at 34.5% in June, and its Statistical Center reported that the cost of essential food items rose over 50% over the same period. But even that doesn’t reflect what people see at shops. Pinto beans tripled in price in a year, while butter nearly doubled. Rice, a staple, rose more than 80% on average, hitting 100% for premium varieties. Whole chicken is up 26%, while beer and lamb are up 9%.

“Every day I see new higher prices for cheese, milk and butter,” said Sima Taghavi, a mother of two, at a Tehran grocery. “I cannot omit them like fruits and meat from my grocery list because my kids are too young to be deprived.”

The pressure over food and fears about the war resuming have seen more patients heading to psychologists since June, local media in Iran have reported.

“The psychological pressure from the 12-day war on the one hand, and runaway inflation and price hikes on the other, has left society exhausted and unmotivated,” Dr. Sima Ferdowsi, a clinical psychologist and professor at Shahid Beheshti University, told the Hamshahri newspaper in an interview published in July.

Iran has faced multiple nationwide protests in recent years, fueled by anger over the economy, demands for women’s rights and calls for the country’s theocracy to change.

In response to those protests and the June war, Iran has been putting prisoners to death at a pace unseen since 1988, when it executed thousands at the end of the Iran-Iraq war. The Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights and the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran put the number of people executed in 2025 at over 1,000, noting the number could be higher as Iran does not report on each execution.

With crippling international sanctions on Iran reinstated , Israeli officials say they are detecting growing unease within the country’s leadership, a nervousness that began even before the snapback decision and has been accompanied by persistent suspicion toward Israel.

Security officials in Israel warn that Tehran appears increasingly anxious, raising fears of a “miscalculation” that could escalate into conflict. They believe the Iranian regime’s agitation is likely to intensify under renewed sanctions, prompting Israel to raise its level of readiness.

Missile tests in Iran

Over the weekend, the United Nations snapback mechanism was activated, reinstating sanctions and restrictions that had been suspended under the 2015 nuclear agreement. The measure allows sanctions to return quickly without a new Security Council vote. The decision is partly attributed to the perceived success of Israel’s recent Operation Rising Lion, which Israeli officials say bolstered support for the move.

The Security Council rejected a Russia–China proposal to delay the sanctions’ return, clearing the way for implementation.

The renewed sanctions include an arms embargo, a ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing, and a ban on launching ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads or engaging in related activities. They also prohibit the transfer of ballistic missile technology, freeze Iranian assets worldwide and impose travel bans on Iranian officials and companies. In addition, countries are authorized to inspect Iranian aircraft and ships for prohibited goods.

Last week, reports surfaced that Iran conducted an intercontinental missile test and has begun rebuilding its missile force , which was heavily damaged in the war. Analysts say the effort is apparently receiving assistance from China, though Iran still lacks critical components such as planetary mixers needed to produce solid fuel. Several facilities previously hit by Israeli airstrikes also remain degraded.

Iran has framed its missile industry rebuilding as a “legitimate” step unrelated to its nuclear program and insists it should not be subject to international monitoring agreements.

Israeli assessment officials say the Israeli strike campaign shook Iran’s opposition and public but failed to topple the regime. Tehran experienced mass evacuations on an unprecedented scale, but no clear alternative to the government has emerged. “We must not be confused,” a senior Israeli official said. “Iran is still a power.”

“We won this confrontation,” another senior Israeli assessment official said, “but there is a chance of another confrontation — so we must prepare. Do not be afraid, but also do not be complacent. Take them seriously, because they still have enough missiles and the nuclear program was not completely destroyed. The nuclear issue remains unstable. Khamenei could decide tomorrow morning to ‘race for the bomb’ at any cost and act covertly.”

1 View gallery F-15s during Operation Rising Lion ( Photo: IDF )

When asked what was achieved on the nuclear front, the official replied: “We struck the program hard and pushed them away from a nuclear weapon, but they can still break out to a bomb within a year. I hope we will know about it. Our intelligence is good, but never perfect. The farther we get from the operation, the more they will restore capabilities. They still have nuclear material, so the urgency is to reach a monitoring agreement — even if such an agreement entails political costs, such as strengthening the regime.”

Since the war with Iran, Israeli officials say both sides have been engaged in a learning process. Iranian leaders are analyzing how deeply Israeli intelligence penetrated their defenses, pointing to the assassinations of nuclear scientists, the killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, the neutralization of air defense systems and the destruction of much of their missile and launcher forces.

Israeli military officials view Iran’s ballistic missile program as an existential threat on par with its nuclear program because of the size of Tehran’s arsenal. Israel’s current strategy is multi-layered: intelligence-gathering to detect restoration efforts, diplomatic pressure on China and Russia alongside the United States to block Iranian assistance, and technological acceleration of missile-defense systems, including the Arrow interceptor and laser-based defenses.

The war has also shaped public opinion inside Israel, where there is now wide recognition that Iran’s missile arsenal constitutes an existential threat requiring major investment in defenses. Beyond the battlefield, Israeli officials point to three main achievements from Operation Rising Lion:

The United Nations reimposed sanctions on Iran early Sunday over its nuclear programme, further squeezing the Islamic Republic as its people increasingly find themselves priced out of the food they need to survive and worried about their futures.

After last-minute diplomacy failed at the UN, the sanctions took effect Sunday at 0000 GMT (8 pm Eastern).

The sanctions will again freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran, and penalize any development of Iran’s ballistic missile programme, among other measures. It came via a mechanism known as “snapback”, included in Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, and comes as Iran’s economy already is reeling.

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Iran’s rial currency sits at a record low, increasing pressure on food prices and making daily life that much more challenging. That includes meat, rice and other staples of the Iranian dinner table.

Food shortages and rising inflation hit Iranian families

Meanwhile, people worry about a new round of fighting between Iran and Israel — as well as potentially the United States — as missile sites struck during the 12-day war in June now appear to be being rebuilt.

Activists fear a rising wave of repression within the Islamic Republic, which already has reportedly executed more people this year than over the past three decades.

Sina, the father of a 12-year-old boy who spoke on condition that only his first name be used for fear of repercussions, said the country has never faced such a challenging time, even during the deprivations of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war and the decades of sanctions that came later.

“For as long as I can remember, we’ve been struggling with economic hardship, and every year it’s worse than the last,” Sina told The Associated Press. “For my generation, it’s always either too late or too early — our dreams are slipping away.”

UN mechanism escalates new tensions as Iran recalls envoy

Snapback was designed to be veto-proof at the UN Security Council, meaning China and Russia could not stop it alone, as they have other proposed actions against Tehran in the past.

France, Germany and the United Kingdom triggered snapback over Iran 30 days ago for its further restricting monitoring of its nuclear program and the deadlock over its negotiations with the US.

Iran further withdrew from the International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring after Israel’s war on the country in June, which also saw the US strike nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, the country still maintains a stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent — that is largely enough to make several atomic bombs, should Tehran choose to rush toward weaponisation.

Iran has long insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful, though the West and IAEA say Tehran had an organised weapons programme up until 2003.

Tehran has further argued that the three European nations shouldn’t be allowed to implement snapback, pointing in part to America’s unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018, during the first term of President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The Trump administration appears to think it has a stronger hand post-strikes, and it can wait for Iran to come back to the table,” said Kelsey Davenport, a nuclear expert at the Washington-based Arms Control Association. “Given the knowledge Iran has, given the materials that remain in Iran, that’s a very dangerous assumption.” Risks also remain for Iran as well, she added: “In the short term, kicking out the IAEA increases the risk of miscalculation. The US or Israel could use the lack of inspections as a pretext for further strikes.” Iran on Saturday recalled its ambassadors to France, Germany and the UK for consultations ahead of the sanctions being reimposed, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

The aftermath of the June war drove up food prices in Iran, putting already expensive meat out of reach for poorer families.

Iran’s government put overall annual inflation at 34.5 per cent in June, and its Statistical Center reported that the cost of essential food items rose over 50 per cent over the same period. But even that doesn’t reflect what people see at shops. Pinto beans tripled in price in a year, while butter nearly doubled. Rice, a staple, rose more than 80 per cent on average, hitting 100 per cent for premium varieties. Whole chicken is up 26 per cent, while beer and lamb are up 9 per cent.

“Every day I see new higher prices for cheese, milk and butter,” said Sima Taghavi, a mother of two, at a Tehran grocery. “I cannot omit them like fruits and meat from my grocery list because my kids are too young to be deprived.” The pressure over food and fears about the war resuming have seen more patients heading to psychologists since June, local media in Iran have reported.

“The psychological pressure from the 12-day war on the one hand, and runaway inflation and price hikes on the other, has left society exhausted and unmotivated,” Dr. Sima Ferdowsi, a clinical psychologist and professor at Shahid Beheshti University, told the Hamshahri newspaper in an interview published in July.

“If the economic situation continues like this, it will have serious social and moral consequences,” she warned, with the newspaper noting “people may do things they would never think of doing in normal circumstances to survive”.