STOCK MARKET WATCH -- Thursday, 9 February 2012

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35. Turmoil deepens bleak Tehran winter

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NB10Ak04.html

It's miserable this time of year in Tehran. The short days are darkened further by the annual submersion of the city under a thick layer of exhaust and smoke. With the surrounding mountains and weak wind and winter sun, the pollution hovers for days, prompting the government to issue regular warnings to the elderly, pregnant and those with heart conditions not to go outside.

But their declining health is not what is on the minds of most Tehran residents today. Rather it's their deteriorating standard of living and the unshakable feeling that the world is conspiring against them which has Iranians most vexed.

With the double threat of a military attack by the United States or Israel or both, and the increasing instability of the Iranian



economy as witnessed last month in the currency crisis that continues to grip the capital, the feeling of hope that once pumped through the city in the days before the 2009 election, and arguably even in the weeks that followed, is nowhere to be found.

The reality is that the situation is not that bad, yet. Most signs point to a financial well-being at its lowest levels for average citizens than at any point since Iran's eight-year war with Iraq, when shortages were the norm.

While Iranians have complained about their lot for years, statistics simply have not matched up with the population's level of economic discontent. Heavily subsidized fuel and utilities, access to basic necessities and a decent education never seemed to register for a population who wanted to have their cake and eat it, too.