Iran's president blames foreign pressure as expert warns regime's economy nears breaking point

Reports of Iranians stealing bread, cheese, meat and other basic groceries are fueling concerns that the country's worsening economic crisis is pushing households toward a breaking point.

An investigation published Wednesday by the Iranian newspaper Jahan-e Sanat described supermarket workers encountering customers who allegedly concealed inexpensive food items or ate packaged products inside stores without paying. The accounts are anecdotal and do not establish the national prevalence of food theft, but analysts say they reflect the mounting pressure created by inflation, currency depreciation and collapsing purchasing power.