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Iran’s government has said its citizens will be given a monthly payment equivalent to about $7 to ease economic pressures as protests spread across the country, according to reports.
The announcement was reported to have been made on Monday by the government spokesperson, Fatemeh Mohajerani, on Iranian State TV.
She said the measure was aimed at “preserving households” purchasing power, controlling inflation and ensuring food security,” per The New York Times.
The outlet also said the plan represents a shift away from long-standing import subsidies toward direct assistance for citizens.
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Under the proposal, roughly $10 billion that had been spent each year to subsidize certain imports, will now be given directly to the public.
Eligible Iranians will get one million Iranian tomans, which is around $7, and in the form of credit that can be used to buy goods.
The labor minister said the payments would be handed out to about 80 million people, which is the majority of Iran’s population.
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Iran’s economy has been hit by sanctions and declining oil revenues which have led to protests.
The currency has lost more than half its value against the U.S. dollar.
The Statistical Center of Iran, a state-run body under Iran’s regime, reported in December that the average annual inflation rate also reached 42.2%, according to reports.
The payments were announced amid widespread protests that included merchants, traders and university students, according to the Times. Marketplaces have been shut down and rallies have been held on campuses.
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As previously reported by Fox News Digital, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI), the intensity of the protests has reached at least 78 cities and 222 locations.
Protesters have been demanding the end of the regime controlled by the 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
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The group said the regime has killed at least 20 people, including three children, and arrested 990 people. Khamenei’s security forces have detained more than 40 children, HRAI noted.
Fox News Digital’s Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.
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