Yes, but they have at least one police station.
You are absolutely right and when you look at it, you see nothing but purposeful manipulation of people's living.
Let's look at official statistics about minimum wage in Iran.
In 2010 (1389), minimum wage in Iran was 303K Tomans, without additional benefits. With additional benefits, it reached almost 360K Tomans. The price of 1 USD was 1,100 Tomans, kept nearly the same throughout the year. So, minimum wage was about $327. Not great, but pretty OK for a country in our neighborhood and definitely livable.
Fast forward to 2025 (1404), minimum wage is 10,390,000 Tomans without additional benefits. With additional benefits, it reaches about 14M Tomans. The price of USD at the start of the year was about 80K Tomans and it is currently at 148K Tomans. So, minimum wage is barely $95.
Iran's oil income in 2008 was much higher obviously. Our 2008 oil income is estimated at $68 billion. Right now, our oil income is about $40 billion annually. A 42% decrease in our oil income, but minimum wage is about one-fourth of what it used to be!
The regime has put all the pressure of sanctions, and more, on ordinary Iranians. Our 15-year average inflation has been around 38%, while minimum wage has increased by 27% on average annually. Is it surprising that the lower-income families and the middle class are calling for a revolution now?
An average household in Iran has about 3.8 members. If we assume $2 per day for each person as the UN poverty line, minimum wage should cover at least $228 per month. And that hasn't been the case for over a decade already. Even if both parents work with minimum wage, they still cannot cover that.