Iran extended the deadline for subsidy card registration to Bahman 22 (February 11) for citizens who missed the initial registration period, government spokesman Ali Ahmadnia said, Tasnim reported on January 12.

The extension comes as hundreds, if not thousands, of people have been killed in recent protests against the Iranian government over the past two weeks. What initially began as a protest by mobile phone traders in Charsou Bazaar in Tehran quickly morphed into national protests against the Islamic Republic system as a whole, with threats from the US to topple the regime.

The Iranian government said that citizens (living in the country) in the 10th income decile or those whose cash subsidies were previously cut and who have not received subsidy card credits can register until February 10, Ahmadnia said. He acknowledged citizens' concerns about internet disruptions in recent days and worries about the registration deadline expiring.

"Due to internet problems and public requests, the registration deadline has been extended," Ahmadnia said.

Citizens will receive a text message activating their accounts within one week of registration and will have four months of subsidies available at once, with IRR10mn ($7 according to the free market rate of IRR1.42mn on January 13) unlocked monthly, he said.

Ahmadnia dismissed concerns about potential reductions in payment amounts for late registrations. "There is no need to worry about this, and the government will provide all four months of subsidies to citizens, even if their registration time is delayed," he said.

Regarding whether the IRR10mn monthly amount will remain fixed in the coming months, as Ramadan and the Persian new year Nowruz approach, Ahmadnia said the payment amounts are reviewed seasonally.

 "If after the season passes, we see an increase in inflation or changes in the exchange rate, the government will increase the subsidy amount, although efforts are being made to prevent such conditions by controlling variables," he said.

Iran launched the subsidy card programme to support households purchasing essential goods as economic pressures mount. The rial has depreciated sharply, trading at IRR1.46mn against the dollar on January 8.

A recent report from the Iran Parliament Research Center (IPRC) revealed that the subsidised aid is acting merely as a temporary "painkiller" that fails to address the underlying structural crises, transforming a key support programme into a never-ending drain on already stretched resources. 

Farshad Momeni, an economist and university professor, said the government “gives out kala‑barg to ease its guilty conscience for wrong policy choices,” calling it a short‑term painkiller after subsidy removal, in a previous op-ed in the Hammihan newspaper.

He argued that reviving ration‑style schemes in today’s crisis economy “cannot solve chronic poverty and inequality, it only delays social tensions.”