As economic pressure mounts, senior officials are increasingly describing it in the language of internal security.

Executive Vice President Mohammad-Jafar Ghaempanah told officials in Zanjan that these were "days of resilience." Referring to earlier unrest, he said the adversary had tried to exploit public dissatisfaction to bring about collapse from within, and warned against anything that weakens the government, judiciary, police or armed forces.

On September 18, Basij and military forces staged a large mobilization in Tehran attended by President Pezeshkian. Basij commander Hossein Taeb spoke of organizing participants into units and holding further land, air and sea training, according to IRNA. Officials said similar exercises would follow across other provinces.

The combination is telling. Officials are not presenting a plan to raise incomes. They are preparing institutions to contain the consequences if incomes keep falling.