Pezeshkian Admits Budget Cannot Match Wages to Inflation

President Masoud Pezeshkian tells parliament the government 'cannot afford to raise wages in line with inflation,' a stark admission of fiscal incapacity that is broadcast on state media. The statement, coming days before the largest protests in the Islamic Republic's history, becomes a lightning rod for public anger. Opposition figures and labor unions seize on the admission as evidence that the regime has abandoned the social contract with its citizens.