Iranians hit hard by U.S. sanctions, and worried about war
Bandar Abbas, Iran -- In the local market in Bandar Abbas, a town right on Iran's coast in the Strait of Hormuz, people are really feeling the pinch. So have millions of other Iranians in the year since President Trump began re-imposing what his administration calls "the toughest ever" sanctions on Iran.
The president insists only the government, not ordinary Iranians, are being affected. But over the past 12 months, the price of staple items like chicken has gone up by almost 80 percent. Even the humble tomato hasn't been spared, with consumers now paying five times more than they did last year.
But it's the change in the value of Iran's currency, the rial, which has hit pocketbooks the hardest. It has dropped to an all-time low.
It all causes financial misery for Iranians, but there's also a sense of confusion.
The Trump administration has sent mixed signals following a series of defiant actions by Tehran. In mid-June, Mr. Trump approved, then called off, targeted airstrikes against Iran to retaliate for the Islamic Republic downing an American surveillance drone.
A month later the president was muted in his response to Iranian commandos seizing a British-flagged oil tanker.
The uncertainty over U.S. plans and intentions isn't making life any easier, and although some Iranians told CBS News they're worried about a possible war, everyone we spoke to in Bandar Abbas said it's the economy they're most concerned about.
What they really want is relief from sanctions.
