Iran's government spokesperson: no plan to raise the food voucher amount for now, and any increase needs a sustainable funding source

Iran's government spokesperson said on Saturday, 3 Mordad 1405 (25 July 2026), that there is currently no plan to raise the value of the electronic food voucher, and that the existing amount is under review.

He said that if an increase does become possible, something the government is itself interested in, there would have to be a sustainable source of funding for it. He also described fuel smuggling as a serious challenge in the south of the country.

The electronic food voucher is one of the government's main instruments for supporting the food basket of lower-income households, and its value bears directly on purchasing power and inflation expectations, particularly in months when food and energy cost pressures are high.