Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that military strength alone cannot guarantee the survival of the Islamic Republic if the economy falters and citizens go hungry. He made the remarks on August 20, 2026, while addressing Iranian and Iraqi business figures at Iran’s embassy in Baghdad, according to Arab Times. Ghalibaf emphasised that economic growth, domestic production and financial stability form essential pillars of national security. The parliament speaker argued that a failure to maintain these elements would undermine the country’s long-term endurance.
«No matter how much military power we have, if people are hungry and we don’t have financial circulation, economic growth and domestic production, we will not endure,» Ghalibaf said. He added that «Security and the economy require each other» and stated that «If we establish security but do not sustain it through the economy, it will not last.» Arab Times reported that these comments reflected broader leadership concerns over economic pressures facing Iran.
Ghalibaf also outlined Iran’s military posture in the same address, saying Tehran was not seeking conflict but required preparedness to support diplomatic efforts. «We are not warmongers and we are not seeking war,» he said. The speaker noted that «If we are not prepared for war, no one will respond to us when we use diplomacy,» according to the reported remarks.
Iran’s annual inflation rate reached 66 percent in July, while food inflation hit 128 percent year-on-year, according to Iran’s Statistical Centre.[[1]](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/battered-by-war-irans-rulers-wary-more-economic-pain-unrest-if-us-tightens-2026-08-17/) World Bank data shows the country’s GDP contracted by 2.7 percent in the 2025/26 fiscal year, reflecting impacts from sanctions, hostilities and trade disruptions.[[2]](https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/65cf93926fdb3ea23b72f277fc249a72-0500042021/related/mpo-irn.pdf) Rents rose 31 percent year-on-year in March, the Statistical Centre reported, contributing to household pressures across multiple provinces.
The parliament speaker has issued comparable economic cautions in prior statements, including calls for government action on inflation and currency stability that could lead to cabinet changes if unmet. A NIAC assessment from December detailed Ghalibaf’s warnings amid currency volatility that saw the U.S. dollar surpass 133,000 tomans. Such interventions have formed part of his public focus on linking economic performance to political accountability.
Reuters reporting from August 17 indicated that Iranian officials remain wary of further economic pain that could spark unrest, with one resident in Yazd describing depleted household budgets after salary exhaustion on basic goods. The assessment noted that war-related infrastructure damage and severed trade routes have compounded pre-existing challenges from sanctions and energy shortages. Officials cited in the report projected ongoing constraints on oil exports and revenue collection in the near term.
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