US sanctions squeeze Iran middle class, upend housing sector
(World News USA)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Stay-at-home mom Maryam Alidadi used to lead a comfortable middle-class life. The 35-year-old and her husband, a mechanic, could afford a spacious rental apartment in a central neighborhood of Tehran, along with a car, occasional restaurant meals and holidays abroad. Now they are barely hanging on, even after drastically cutting spending. Like most Iranians, the family was hit hard by the collapse of the national currency, accelerating inflation and eroding wages - fallout from unprecedented U.S. sanctions. Perhaps most devastating for Iran`s large middle class has been the sharp spike in housing prices, more than double in a year. That has uprooted tenants and made home...