In a significant development, U.S. officials have admitted to engineering a dollar shortage in Iran, a move that has exacerbated the country's economic crisis and fueled widespread protests. According to Al Jazeera, a U.S. official acknowledged that the shortage was intended to 'strangle' the Iranian rial, leading to the 'deadliest crackdown' in Iran. This admission has sparked a debate over the ethical implications of using economic sanctions as a tool for political change, with critics arguing that such measures disproportionately affect ordinary citizens. The scarcity of dollars has led to skyrocketing inflation, with many Iranians struggling to afford basic goods and services, as reported by ozarab.media. The protests, which began in late December 2025, have been met with a severe response from Iranian authorities, resulting in over 3,000 deaths according to Iranian government sources, though the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency claims the toll is as high as 7,002.