Iran’s semi-official ILNA news agency reports that the Ministry of Industry, Mining, and Commerce recently sent a letter to trade unions and associations involved in the production and distribution of goods instructing them not to give interviews to the media about inflation.

"Noting that the implementation by the government of the second phase of the targeted subsidies plan is drawing closer, officials of unions and associations should refrain from giving any interviews to the media, especially on the increase of prices of goods, in order to prevent disturbing the public opinion," ILNA quoted the ministry's letter as saying.

Iranians have been facing a significant increase in prices for food and goods in recent months.

Iranian news agencies reported last week that the authorities increased the price of bread in Tehran by up to 33 percent.

Iran’s central bank issued a report earlier this month that showed a sharp rise in the price of most food staples in the Iranian capital since last year.

According to the report, which was posted on the website of the Mehr news agency, the price of a kilogram of eggplant has increased by 74 percent and a kilogram of chicken by 57 percent since the last Iranian year.  

The rise in the price of goods and food staples is reportedly due to the cutting of subsidies and economic mismanagement but also to the sanctions imposed against the Islamic republic over its sensitive nuclear work.