Iran Parliament Speaker: 'We Are Hungry, We Cannot Survive'

Iran's Parliament speaker has issued an unusually stark warning about the country's deepening economic troubles, declaring that even a powerful military cannot protect the Islamic Republic if its people are hungry and the economy continues to deteriorate.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, one of the country's most senior political figures, made the comments during a meeting with Iranian and Iraqi economists in Baghdad, according to Middle East news outlet Al Bawaba.

"No matter how strong our military power becomes, if we are hungry, we will not be able to endure," Qalibaf warned, according to the report.

The comments represented a striking acknowledgment from inside Iran's leadership that the country's economic crisis could threaten its ability to maintain national security and political stability.

Qalibaf said military power cannot be separated from economic strength, describing security and the economy as "two wings" that depend upon one another.

Without security, he said, investors will not risk their capital. But without economic growth, domestic production, and sufficient income for ordinary citizens, the government cannot sustain security indefinitely.

His comments come as Iran continues to face severe economic pressures after years of international sanctions, regional conflict and enormous government expenditures on its military and regional allies.

Iran’s inflation has been reported at around 90%, while GDP has contracted sharply. More than 1 million jobs have been lost, and oil exports are now close to zero because of the U.S. naval blockade.

Meanwhile, Iran continues to invest heavily in ballistic missiles, drones, and other weapons while also supporting armed groups and allies across the Middle East.

But Qalibaf's remarks suggest Iranian leaders are increasingly concerned that military capabilities offer little protection against growing economic hardship at home.

"We are hungry, we cannot survive," news outlet Al Bawaba summarized Qalibaf's warning in its headline Saturday.

Qalibaf, a former commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has long been considered a major figure in Iran's conservative political establishment.

His willingness to publicly link hunger and economic weakness to Iran's national security problems could therefore carry particular significance.

The Parliament speaker emphasized that Iran needs economic growth, investment, financial activity, and increased domestic production if it hopes to remain resilient.

His message was straightforward: missiles and military power alone cannot guarantee the survival of the Iranian state.

For Iran to remain strong, Qalibaf said, the government must also provide an economy capable of supporting its people.

Without both, he warned, Iran "will not be able to endure."

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