Iran's Ghalibaf: Washington is waging economic war on false intelligence

Shafaq News- Tehran

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the United States on Wednesday of deliberately targeting Iran's economy to force political concessions, warning that American decision-makers were acting on distorted intelligence that would ultimately prove costly for all parties involved.

"The enemy is very hopeful about economic pressure, and it is clear that they have once again received false reports, and based on these reports, they have made wrong decisions," Ghalibaf said in an audio message, adding that "this wrong decision will cause everyone to suffer."

The message came as Iran's economy continues its steepest contraction in decades. The International Monetary Fund projects the Iranian economy will shrink by 6.1 percent in 2026, with annual inflation reaching 68.9 percent. Food inflation had already soared to 105 percent by February, with bread and cereals up 140 percent and oils and fats up 219 percent year-on-year through March.

The currency fell to a record low of approximately 1.8 million to the US dollar in recent days, according to currency-tracking platforms including Bonbast and AlanChand, as a US naval blockade and an uncertain ceasefire continued to squeeze the economy.

The blockade, imposed by the US Navy on April 13, has prevented ships docking at Iranian ports from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, threatening Iran's ability to import staple goods while pushing oil storage toward capacity.

Ghalibaf framed the economic pressure as a deliberate strategy of internal destabilization rather than conventional military confrontation, calling on Iranians to maintain unity and warning that "any actions that sow discord play right into the enemy's hands." He said the Iranian nation would endure regardless of how intense the pressure becomes, "for the sake of independence."