What specific economic indicators and real-life impacts does the article cite to illustrate how the US-Israeli military campaign and Trump's policies have worsened Iranians' daily living conditions?

The article cites nearly-80% inflation, a rial that has lost almost 30% of its value this year, a projected 6.1% economic contraction (the fastest since the mid-90s), and $270 billion in economic damage during the first six weeks of the war. It documents real-life impacts including Tehran business owner Nazanine using credit for groceries for the first time in over a decade, laying off staff, forgoing non-essential spending, and relying on installment plans for food — a shift described by expert Hadi Kahalzadeh as evidence that inflation has moved 'from a macroeconomic problem into the structure of daily life.'

How has the expansion of interest-free credit and buy-now-pay-later schemes to basic necessities like food reflected broader socioeconomic stress in Iran, according to the article?

According to the article, the surge in interest-free credit and buy-now-pay-later plans — now extended to food and everyday necessities — reflects severe erosion of purchasing power and widespread financial distress; shop windows across Tehran display such signs, and the practice is described by Hadi Kahalzadeh as 'one of the clearest signs that inflation has moved from a macroeconomic problem into the structure of daily life,' underscoring how economic hardship has penetrated the most fundamental aspects of survival for vulnerable Iranians, who already constitute an estimated 70% of the population.

Iranians Struggle to Afford Groceries as Trump Squeezes Economy

Aug 14, 2026

Rising inflation and US sanctions force Iranians to use credit for groceries while a naval blockade threatens fuel and food supplies. Experts warn of severe shortages in essential commodities including medicine and industrial inputs.

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