Iranian president calls for public cooperation to save energy amid economic pressures

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called Wednesday for public cooperation to save energy and manage consumption as the country faces mounting economic pressures.

Speaking at a nationwide meeting of provincial governors, Pezeshkian 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 his 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.

Economic pressures

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.

Regional tensions have remained high since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and US allies in the Gulf, as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to secure a lasting agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely while maintaining a blockade on vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports through the strategic waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most vital energy chokepoints, linking the Gulf to international markets. Disruptions there since the start of the Iran war have raised concerns over global oil, fuel, and gas supplies.