Pezeshkian Declares 'Economic War' the Main Front After Military Phase — Warns of Decade-Long Rebuild

President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed an economic symposium in Tehran, declaring that the main battlefield between Iran and its adversaries had shifted from the military to the economic sphere. 'The economic war is the main front after the enemy's military failure,' Pezeshkian said, noting that the private sector was bearing the brunt of what he characterized as a concerted foreign campaign to destabilize Iran through sanctions, asset freezes, and trade restrictions. Senior Iranian economic advisers warned him that rebuilding the war-damaged economy could take more than a decade. Iran's industrial infrastructure suffered extensive damage during the 2026 conflict: approximately 230 million cubic meters of gas infrastructure was destroyed, along with power plants, petrochemical facilities, and major industrial sites including Iran's largest steel producer. The president acknowledged the severity of the economic collapse while insisting Iran could endure the pressure. Food inflation had surged to 105%, with bread and cereals up 140% and cooking oil prices up 219% year-on-year. Iran's GDP was projected to contract between 8.8% and 10% in 2026, threatening an additional 3.5–4.5 million citizens with absolute poverty.