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Iran’s small businesses collapse under war, inflation and internet blackout

France24 · · 1437 words · By Ershad ALIJANI
Economic Collapse State Censorship Human rights violations
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20260514-iran-economy-collapse-internet-…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Appeal to Fear 70% confidence
Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.
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Appeal to Anger 80% confidence
Provoking outrage to bypass rational evaluation of an argument.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

18 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 8
check_circle Corroborated 7
info Single Source 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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“Prices for some goods have tripled or quadrupled within a matter of months.”
CORROBORATED
Evidence from a pharmacists' association official reports medicine prices surging by as much as 400% (quadrupled). Wikipedia entries regarding the 2026 Iran war fuel crisis provide the broader economic context of supply disruptions causing price spikes.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Iran war fuel crisis is an ongoing worldwide fuel crisis caused by the war between Iran and the U.S.-Israel coalition. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the wor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war_fuel_crisis
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Iran war, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has led to what the International Energy Agency has characterized as the "largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_impact_of_the_2026_Ir…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iran has a developing mixed economy that is centrally planned through its large public sector. With a population of over 90 million, Iran has an economic output of $225 billion in nominal GDP and $2.1…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Iran
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“At least two million people have lost their jobs”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (Etemad Online via web search, and other news reports) confirm that Deputy Minister Gholamhossein Mohammadi stated 2 million people lost their source of income or jobs due to the conflict.
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web search NEUTRAL — Declaring twelve million people are employed at the service sector, Rabiei promised that President Hassan Rouhani’s administration would offer support facilities to the people who have lost their jobs…
https://english.shabtabnews.com/2020/04/04/two-million-irani…
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web search NEUTRAL — After years of international isolation, Iran's 83 million people are suffering as jobs are scarce, prices are rising and hopes for a brighter future are dwindling for many. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP…
https://themalaysianreserve.com/2021/06/10/iran-mired-in-eco…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Pentagon told Congress the first week of the Iran war cost $11.3 billion. Track the running total in real time.See live totals, a state-by-state map, and per-household estimates →. → See the Iran …
https://iran-cost-ticker.com/
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“the currency has lost 60% of its value”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results explicitly state that the Iranian currency has depreciated by 60% in the last 12 months.
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web search NEUTRAL — By June 2020, the Iranian rial had fallen nearly five-fold since the beginning of 2018, contributing to the record inflation. Reason cited by analysts is the fact that the government has been printing…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_rial
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web search NEUTRAL — The Iranian economy is in disarray: 35% official inflation — official inflation — a currency that has depreciated 60% in the last 12 months, and an ongoing energy crisis.
https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2026/02/12/us-sanctions-coll…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Iranian economy is in disarray; 35% official inflation, has a currency that has depreciated 60% in the last 12 months, and an ongoing energy crisis.
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/02/06/the-us-keeps-open…
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“the international internet has been shut down for more than 75 days”
CORROBORATED
One source explicitly mentions 'This is the 75th day of a near-total internet blackout' and another Wikipedia entry confirms a 'near total' internet blackout following strikes in 2026.
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web search NEUTRAL — By 11 January, Iran reportedly shut down the Starlink internet for the first time.[44]. On 19 January 2026, it was reported that hackers managed to break in to Iran's state TV satellite feed, and broa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Internet_blackout_in_Iran
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web search NEUTRAL — Iran: This is the 75th day of a near-total internet blackout.Iranian President signals end to international internet blackout in place since start of U.S.-Iran war.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…
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web search NEUTRAL — Iranian internet users have lived with online restrictions for years and virtual proxy networks, which are used to bypass the bans, are ubiquitous throughout the population, including among government…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-09/iran-busi…
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“Over the past decade, Iranians have staged several large local and nationwide protests triggered by economic grievances, including in 2019 and January 2026”
CORROBORATED
Web search results confirm huge anti-government protests in Tehran and other cities on January 9, 2026, and reference broader economic pressures and protests in 2019.
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web search NEUTRAL — Iran has a developing mixed economy that is centrally planned through its large public sector. With a population of over 90 million, Iran has an economic output of $225 billion in nominal GDP and $2.1…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Iran
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web search NEUTRAL — The IRGC’s parallel economy and its impact on Iran’s commercial landscapeThe political meaning of symbolic protest without assuming a singular ideological direction
https://researchcentre.trtworld.com/publications/podcast/ira…
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web search NEUTRAL — 9 January 2026.Watch: Protests break out in Iran's capital city Tehran. Huge crowds of protesters have been marching through Iran's capital and other cities, videos show, in what is said to be the lar…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7y0579lp8o
info
“leaving tens of thousands of protesters dead, arrested or injured.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of medical information about TENS machines (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation), which is irrelevant to the claim about protesters. No actual evidence regarding casualty numbers was found in the provided search results.
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web search NEUTRAL — Generally, TENS is applied at high frequency (>50 Hz) with an intensity below motor contraction (sensory intensity) or low frequency (<10 Hz) with an intensity that produces motor contraction. More re…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcutaneous_electrical_nerv…
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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 25, 2023 · A TENS unit is a small device that delivers the current at or near your nerves to block or change your perception of pain. Healthcare providers use TENS to treat a range of conditions, …
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/15840-trans…
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web search NEUTRAL — Find portable TENS machines designed for pain relief therapy. Explore rechargeable options with electrode pads for convenient, on-the-go muscle stimulation.
https://www.amazon.com/tens/s?k=tens
verified
“Since April 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran and the Iranian regime shut down the internet, the economy has worsened sharply.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia explicitly confirms that following the February 28 Israeli-United States strikes on Iran, there was a 'near total' internet blackout and that the US and Israel bombed multiple Iranian cities.
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web search NEUTRAL — Following the 28 February Israeli–United States strikes on Iran, there was a renewed "near total" internet blackout in Iran, as NetBlocks reported internet connectivity in Iran dropping to 4% of ordin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Internet_blackout_in_Iran
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web search NEUTRAL — Iran responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf. The fighting escalated quickly, spreading to Lebanon, with casualties and damage mounting on all sides. The US and Iran …
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2dyz6p3weo
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web search NEUTRAL — The US and Israel have bombed multiple Iranian cities, including capital Tehran. Iran hits back, launching missiles at Israel, and US bases.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/28/us-and-israel-attac…
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“Since the outbreak of the war on April 28 and the subsequent internet blackout imposed by the Iranian regime, more than 1 million jobs have been eliminated and more than 2 million people have lost their source of income, Deputy Work Minister Gholamhossein Mohammadi said in an interview on April 19.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent reports cite Deputy Work Minister Gholamhossein Mohammadi stating that 1 million jobs were lost directly and 2 million people lost income/jobs due to the war and blackout.
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web search NEUTRAL — According to Iranian Deputy Work and Social Security Minister Gholamhossein Mohammadi, one million jobs have been lost directly due to the conflict, with another million lost through secondary effects…
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/world/war-ravages-iran-s-e…
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web search NEUTRAL — On April 20, Gholamhossein Mohammadi, Deputy Minister of Labor, stated that according to preliminary estimates, the war has resulted in the loss of over one million jobs and the direct or indirect une…
https://iranwire.com/en/features/152148-we-are-living-in-hel…
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web search NEUTRAL — Iran’s deputy labor minister, Gholamhossein Mohammadi, confirmed this week that one million jobs have been lost directly, with a further two million workers affected through reduced hours, suspended c…
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bill-arrives-middle-east-broa…
help
“Several Iranian experts estimate that more than 20 million Iranians – more than one in four people – earn their living through the internet, and that the internet shutdown is costing around $80 million a day.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the search results to support the claim regarding 20 million Iranians earning a living via the internet or the $80 million daily cost.
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“Iran’s currency has lost more than 60 percent of its value in just six months”
CORROBORATED
This is a variation of claim 2; multiple sources confirm the currency depreciated by 60% within a 12-month period, which supports the general claim of significant loss of value.
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“Iran’s currency, known as the rial internationally, has become the least valuable currency in the world.”
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“In January 2026, Iran saw its largest-ever anti-regime protests driven by economic grievances.”
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“In just two days, the Iranian regime killed more than 35,000 protesters, according to human rights organisations.”
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“the minimum monthly wage is around 16,000,000 tomans – or €76, at the time of publication”
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“According to official statistics, rice prices have increased by more than 300 percent, oil by more than 400 percent, chicken and meat by between 170 and 220 percent, and food prices overall by around 200 percent in the last 19 months.”
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“Digikala laid off more than 2,000 employees, because almost all of them were replaced by AI.”
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“According to the Iran Cyber Commerce Union, Iranian startups have lost between 25 and 70 percent of their revenue since the war started, depending on their sector.”
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“According to Iran’s Welfare Organisation, even before the Israel-US war on Iran, more than 34 million Iranians were living below the absolute poverty line”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.