Overview
- The government will provide one million tomans (about $7) per person per month as a universal credit limited to basic goods, with price caps planned for eligible items.
- Officials set Jan. 20 for the first disbursement and outlined a four‑month schedule, with no clarity on whether the program will continue afterward.
- Unrest continued despite the announcement, with protests reported across 22 of Iran’s 31 provinces and reports citing at least 36 deaths and more than 1,200 arrests.
- Authorities presented the move as a shift from upstream subsidies to direct consumer support totaling about $10 billion in reallocated funds.
- The rollout comes as inflation topped 42% in late 2025 and the rial lost more than half its value over the past year, fueling public criticism that the stipend is insufficient even as some economists say it could modestly aid the poorest households.