Business leaders at the Isfahan Chamber of Commerce have warned that Iran faces serious unemployment and supply chain crises within months unless the government takes urgent steps to reduce bureaucracy, restore internet access and support the private sector, the Isfahan Chamber announced on April 13.

At the 41st session of the chamber's board of representatives, members called for a shift from government-led economic management to greater private sector participation, warning that production challenges, internet shutdowns, currency policy failures and supply chain disruptions were pushing the economy to breaking point.

Isfahan was hit hard but unevenly in the Israeli-US war, with the most serious damage concentrated on nuclear and industrial targets and significant collateral harm to nearby historic sites. Reporting pointed to strikes on the Natanz/Isfahan nuclear complex, a factory attack that killed at least 15 people, and damage to energy-related facilities, while Iranian officials and heritage-focused coverage said blast effects also damaged dozens of historic landmarks, including parts of Chehel Sotoun and the Naqsh-e Jahan area. The city was not flattened, but the strikes left a major military, economic and cultural footprint.

Ahmad Khourosh, head of the chamber's mining and mineral industries commission, said that without immediate action, a serious unemployment crisis could emerge from June. He proposed the creation of a joint "economic crisis headquarters" with the Iran Chamber of Commerce.

"The private sector can play a leading role in managing the current situation. The government should focus on policymaking and oversight," Khourosh said. He warned that any restrictions on steel and petrochemical exports could cause significant damage to the wider economy.

Isfahan Chamber president Amir Keshani said the country's recovery depended on the private sector taking a central role.

"Achieving an endogenous economy depends on increasing public participation in production and investment and avoiding a purely government-led approach to the economy," Keshani said.

He described the recent military campaign as an "dishonourable attack" against a civilisation with seven thousand years of contributions to humanity, and called for the establishment of free economic zones, including in Isfahan province, to boost business activity. Keshani also said the chamber had written to UNESCO and several embassies seeking international support for affected industries.

Mohammad Jafar Foudeh, the chamber's vice president, said no serious shortages of basic goods were expected in the next one to two months. He warned, however, that animal feed allocations had not been increased in line with crisis conditions, and that disruption to input supplies could affect meat, poultry and dairy markets in the coming months.

Fereshteh Amini, head of the export development commission, said the business community needed to move from expressions of solidarity to active demands for reform. "Internet disruption or shutdown has caused serious damage to businesses, startups and e-commerce, and must be pursued as a serious demand," Amini said.

Seyyed Yousef Ghazi-Asgar, head of the food industries commission, warned that continued internet restrictions could disrupt production, marketing and trade communications, and called for the simplification of currency allocation and licensing processes.

Mozhgan Izadi, head of the tourism commission, said the sector was among the hardest hit. "Disruption to internet and international communications has caused a severe drop in travel, tour cancellations and a decline in tourism business activity," Izadi said, calling for the industry to be included in economic reconstruction plans.

The chamber also announced the formation of six specialist working groups to monitor conditions across key sectors, including steel, petrochemicals and agriculture, alongside a support campaign for small and medium-sized businesses.