'My biggest worry isn’t the explosions': War leaves Iran workers without paychecks

Mostafa was at work in northern Tehran when US and Israeli air strikes began pounding the Iranian capital on a Saturday, the start of the working week in the Shia Muslim-majority nation. 

Like most Iranians, he was ready for the inevitable military confrontation. But very few had expected daytime strikes; they assumed any attack would come at night.

After a decade at the advertising agency, Mostafa knew the rhythm of crisis.

During last year’s 12-day war, he worked from home to stay safe. This time, he was at his desk when the building began to tremble around him.

"It was shocking," Mostafa tells TRT World, requesting his last name be withheld for security reasons. 

As the strikes shook the city, he realised the precedent set by past conflicts no longer applied.

"I don't know if it was a missile or a fighter jet; I heard a whistling sound, and the windows and the building shook violently. A few seconds later, we heard intense explosions nearby."

Employees were immediately sent home. 

"I rushed to get home. I messaged my wife, brother, mother, and father to check on them. Very soon, the internet was cut off, and calls and messages were restricted."

Amidst the terror of the US-Israeli strikes, Mostafa was struck by a deeper, more chronic anxiety.

"My biggest worry isn't just the explosions," he says. 

"With the internet down and businesses closing, I realised there likely wouldn't be any paychecks when we needed them most."

As of late March 2026, reports indicate that over 3,230 people have been killed in Iran, including 1,167 military personnel and 1,406 civilians, due to ongoing US-Israel attacks.

Prices soar across the board

While some companies rushed to support staff with early payments, six private-sector workers tell TRT World they have heard nothing from their employers about their Esfand (February–March) salaries and have little expectation of payment.

The cost of living in Tehran is surging daily, disproportionately devastating the working class and economically vulnerable populations. 

According to data released by the Statistical Center of Iran in February, even before the current conflict, annual point-to-point inflation had hit 68.1 percent. 

Monthly inflation hit 9.4 percent, the highest in 3.5 years. Most alarming is the inflation rate for food and beverages, which skyrocketed to 105.5 percent, a figure described by state institutions as "unprecedented".

Meanwhile, wages remain stagnant.

Razieh, a 43-year-old school janitor in eastern Tehran, finds herself caught in this economic crossfire. Without a fixed contract, her monthly income relies entirely on the days she works. 

"Even when I was getting paid regularly, it was hard to provide for my 3 children," she says. 

Four years ago, her husband endured serious injuries in a factory fire and is now disabled; the family receives only a modest insurance pension.

She is the sole provider for her 13-year-old son and her two daughters, ages eight and six.

Schools have frequently been closed in recent months due to the war, and the Ministry of Education has announced that classes will stay virtual until at least early April.

In the first days of the bombardment, price gouging became rampant. 

"A carton of eggs was officially priced around 440,000 Tomans ($2). It used to be cheaper at the fruit and vegetable markets, but on the first day of the war, they were completely empty," Razieh recalled. 

"I went to buy some from a supermarket, and they asked for 600,000 Tomans ($2.16). I didn't buy it. But what is cheaper than eggs to feed my kids?"

She is currently surviving on cash and in-kind donations from the school’s teachers and is desperately seeking acquaintances for house-cleaning work to make ends meet.

Ahmadreza, 67, faces a similar struggle behind the wheel of his personal car, working as a freelance taxi driver. 

Despite the dangers, he continues to navigate the streets, searching for passengers via ride-hailing apps. 

"The war has meant no passengers in a city this big. My income has dropped to less than half of what it was last month. Meanwhile, stores are charging more for everything."

Although he is 67, the strain of his life makes him look much older. He drives with a stooped posture, leaning his neck slightly forward.

"For things like canned tuna, stores either claim they are out of stock or charge double the price printed on the tin," he says.

The rent crisis

For Mostafa, Razieh, and Ahmadreza, securing daily food is only part of the struggle; their greatest worry is rent. 

Income streams have diminished or dried up entirely under wartime conditions, yet their rent obligations stay fixed at amounts that were already overwhelming before the first sirens sounded.

"When we signed our lease at the beginning of the year [April 2025], I thought my wife and I could manage it," Mostafa says. 

"But we struggled in Dey [January/February] because of the internet blackouts and shutdowns, and it looks like we will struggle again next month. And this is just this year; who knows how much inflation will drive up rent next year."

Ahmadreza, who lives with his wife and has two married daughters, currently spends 40 percent of his income on a small apartment in southern Tehran that does not have enough space to host his grandchildren.

He fears that if the situation drags on, he may have no choice but to return to his rural hometown in the Saveh region, where opportunities are few and prospects even fewer.

The crisis is equally fatal for small enterprises. 

Zahra, 29, spent 4 years building a successful facial skincare clinic. 

"I worked hard for 4 years. I could say it had become a successful business. Early this year, I was paying rent, covering the salaries of 4 employees, and making a good profit for myself," she tells TRT World. 

Now, that stability is gone. 

"Since the beginning of this year, what have we faced? War, the return of international sanctions, and war again," she says.

Because her business relied heavily on social media to attract clients, consecutive national internet blackouts have left her with no way to keep the clinic afloat.

Now our business is operating at a loss. Rent is set to increase next year, and I can't afford it,” Zahra says.

As the crisis worsens, wartime policies announced by the Iranian government appear aimed at protecting the population.

Iran’s Administrative and Recruitment Organization has announced that government employees will receive their salaries earlier than usual this month.

Similarly, the government’s economic working group stated that to help citizens meet their immediate needs, routine cash subsidies and electronic goods coupons for the general public, alongside the salaries of state employees and retirees, will be disbursed ahead of schedule.

Meanwhile, for the struggling private sector, the government has promised to introduce tax exemptions.

However, the exact details of how or when this relief will materialise remain to be seen.

This story was published in collaboration with Egab.