Iran's bazaars are packed ahead of the Persian New Year next week, but there's little holiday cheer as customers survey the soaring prices of meat and holiday treats, wondering if they can afford either. Others are there to sell goods on the sidewalks to make ends meet.
Crippling Western sanctions, on top of decades of economic mismanagement, have plunged the country into a severe crisis. Iran's currency, the rial, recently dropped to a record low, essentially wiping out people's life savings and making even some basic goods unaffordable.
