Sanctions bite: Iran’s economy reels as prices surge and fuel queues return

US sanctions under a new push have driven Iran into deeper economic distress, with swelling inflation, a plunging rial, and shortages that push up staples’ prices while fuel lines reappear; households cut back on basics as the state weighs subsidy reforms and grapples with smuggling, highlighting a widening gap between patriotic rhetoric and growing poverty despite six months of pressure.