Missile Vows from Citizens’ Pockets; When War Economy Extends to the People’s Table

The Friday Prayer leader of Sari called on people to dedicate their assets not for welfare, but to cover military expenses through “missile vows.”

Continuing an unprecedented rhetoric that has emerged in recent years in some official forums of the Islamic Republic regarding “public participation in covering military expenses,” Mohammad Baqer Mohammadi Layini, the Leader’s representative in Mazandaran Province and Friday Prayer leader of Sari, made statements that sparked widespread public and media reactions.

In his Friday sermons on April 18, referring to a plan called “life sacrifice for the government,” he said: “You are familiar with the life-sacrifice campaign, but now we also need a wealth-sacrifice campaign so that people come forward and dedicate their assets as vows for missiles and other necessities that we need to manage the war.”

This rhetoric, which explicitly emphasizes “dedication of personal assets for military needs,” comes at a time when a significant portion of society faces economic pressures, inflation, and declining purchasing power. Such proposals effectively blur the line between voluntary public participation and ideological pressure to finance government expenses.

In recent years, there have been examples of similar campaigns and initiatives under titles such as “public assistance for the resistance front,” “cultural vows,” or fundraising for specific government projects; a process that, according to some analysts, indicates the expansion of a kind of “war economy” within the formal structure. Within this framework, part of the financial burden of regional and military policies is being shifted away from transparent government budgets toward public participation.

However, both domestic and international critics have repeatedly warned that such approaches can place double pressure on the middle and lower classes of society; particularly given that livelihood crises, unemployment, and currency devaluation have affected the daily lives of ordinary people.

From the perspective of political analysts, the repetition of phrases such as “dedication of assets for missiles” is not merely considered a religious or cultural recommendation, but rather a reflection of structural prioritization in macro policies; priorities in which military and security expenses have taken a more prominent place compared to public welfare and economic development.

Ultimately, presenting such statements from official platforms has once again revived the longstanding debate about the relationship between religion, politics, and economics in Iran’s governance structure; a debate that continues without clear answers amid the economic and social pressures facing society.