Iran’s crumbling economy is the regime’s greatest weakness with prices up 40% since the war began while authorities worry about making payroll

The Iranian economy was already in shambles before the U.S. and Israel launched their war on the Islamic republic, and the relentless bombing since then has pushed the regime to the brink, according to reports.

Prior to the war, high inflation and a currency collapse triggered mass protests that prompted a brutal crackdown. But now with factories, energy facilities, bridges and railways destroyed—leaving many Iranians unemployed—conditions have gotten worse.

The rial has plunged 8% against the dollar on the black market since the war started, according to the Economist. That’s after it lost 60% of its value in the months after the 12-day war against Israel last June.

Meanwhile, prices have risen by 6% during the current war, according to central bank data cited by the Economist. Prior to that, food inflation had soared to an annual rate of 64% in October, then accelerated further to 105% by February, vaulting overall inflation to 47.5% on the eve of war.

High inflation forced the central bank last month to...