Iranian President Calls For Public Cooperation To Save Energy Amid Economic Pressures

ISTANBUL, May 20 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday called for public cooperation to save energy and manage consumption as the country faces mounting economic pressures, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported. 

Speaking at a nationwide meeting of provincial governors, he said previous methods used to govern the country were no longer sufficient on their own to address Iran’s current challenges.

“It is necessary to adopt new approaches and design creative solutions to overcome problems,” he said in comments carried by the Fars News Agency.

Pezeshkian warned that Iran could face further difficulties if authorities fail to implement precise planning for the management of water, electricity, gas, and gasoline consumption.

“We must invite the public to cooperate in saving and consumption management so that we can guide the country through the current conditions with dignity and strength,” he said.

The Iranian president added that if previous methods alone had been capable of resolving the country’s problems, many issues would already have been solved.

Separately, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf acknowledged growing economic difficulties in an audio message published on his Telegram channel.

Qalibaf said Iranians had resisted what he described as a US- and Israeli-imposed war for around 80 days, but in recent weeks, had also faced economic problems and rising living costs in their daily lives.

He pointed to sharp increases in prices of essential goods, including rice, chicken, eggs and meat, alongside declining purchasing power and reduced job opportunities.

“I am aware of the jump in prices in the market for essential goods, especially the increase in prices of some food items,” Qalibaf said.

The speaker also warned that despite nearly a month of relative calm on military fronts, Iran’s “adversaries” had not abandoned their military objectives and were pursuing what he described as a new phase of pressure alongside economic and political measures.

-- NNN-BERNAMA-ANADOLU