₹600 Per Head: Iran’s Bid to Pacify Angry Streets and Protect Leadership

Supreme Leader’s Government Unveils Largest Direct Cash Aid Program

In a bid to stabilise a regime under intense pressure, the Iranian government under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has announced a new financial relief package guaranteeing monthly cash assistance of ₹600 per citizen for four months. The move marks the largest direct cash transfer initiative in Iran’s history, coming as the country grapples with widespread protests now entering their tenth day.

With a population of nearly 90 million, the scheme represents a significant fiscal intervention aimed at easing public anger and restoring social calm.

Move Follows Failed Subsidy Expansion

The announcement follows the government’s earlier decision to triple existing subsidies, a step that failed to placate demonstrators. Instead, protests intensified as citizens expressed frustration over crippling economic conditions, including soaring inflation, a sharply depreciating currency, and stagnating markets.

Years of international sanctions have further weakened Iran’s economy, pushing everyday costs beyond the reach of many households and fuelling public discontent.

Government Frames Aid as Temporary Relief

Authorities have described the cash payments—labelled by critics as “freebies”—as a temporary relief measure intended to ease suffering and prevent further escalation of unrest. Officials believe the four-month window could help stabilise the situation and avert a deeper crisis.

However, analysts remain divided on whether such short-term financial incentives can address the structural economic challenges and political grievances driving the protests.

Mounting Internal and External Pressures

Iran is facing what observers describe as its most serious domestic crisis since 1980, compounded by increasing external pressure from the United States and Israel. Reports have emerged of arrests of individuals accused of acting as foreign agents linked to the protests, heightening tensions within the country.

The government has warned of possible foreign intervention if unrest continues, even as demonstrations persist across multiple cities.

Khamenei’s Strategy to Restore Popular Support

Although details from a recent video address by Ayatollah Khamenei remain limited, the cash assistance programme is widely seen as part of a broader effort to protect the Islamic Republic and regain public trust.

The leadership is banking on economic relief to curb dissent, but slogans and chants directed at the ruling establishment suggest that anger runs deeper than economic hardship alone.

Will Cash Aid Calm the Streets?

As protests show no sign of fading, questions remain over whether the cash payout scheme will soothe public anger or merely delay a larger confrontation. For many Iranians, financial relief may offer temporary respite—but whether it can extinguish the growing flames of dissatisfaction remains uncertain.

The coming weeks are likely to determine whether this unprecedented financial move succeeds in stabilising Iran or exposes the limits of economic appeasement in the face of sustained popular unrest.