Despite legal religious hurdles, more than 1,000 take place in Iran daily

Shafaq News/ Iran is facing a surge in abortions, with health officials reporting at least 1,000 procedures performed daily, state media said on Monday. The figures, described as "surprising" by Iranian media, have sparked concerns about the country's policy on increasing its population.

Saber Jabari, head of the Ministry of Health's Youth Center, said the number of abortions was "alarming." Experts, however, believe the actual figure is significantly higher due to underreporting.

"With soaring inflation and economic pressures on families, abortions have increased significantly in recent years," said Dr. Samaneh Rezaei, a psychologist and family counselor. Some estimates put the annual number of abortions as high as 600,000, she added.

Iran's government has attempted to downplay the role of economic factors in the abortion crisis, but a report by a presidential center last year revealed that 36% of abortions were motivated by economic reasons. Other contributing factors include parental reluctance to have more children and the belief that they already have a sufficient number of offspring.

"Often, it is the husband who decides to have an abortion, citing financial instability as a reason," said Dr. Sohla Mahjubi, a gynecologist.

Domestic disputes also contribute to the problem, with young couples citing unstable lives as a reason for postponing parenthood. "In many cases, women express a desire to keep the child, but their male partners often prevail," Mahjubi added.

The data also indicates that a significant number of abortions go unreported, making it difficult to obtain accurate statistics. "There are many cases of illegal abortions that are not recorded by the authorities," Mahjubi said.

Saeed Sheri, a religious scholar and university professor in Tehran, argued that illegal abortions are "a danger that threatens to break up society." He noted that the practice directly contradicts the Iranian government's policy of promoting population growth.

"For years, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that Iranian society is aging, and various incentives have been offered to encourage childbirth," Sheri told IRNA News. "While these efforts have not been entirely successful, they demonstrate the government's commitment to increasing the population."

Sheri attributed the rise in abortions to the influence of Western culture, which he argued has undermined traditional values and made abortion more socially acceptable. "There is no doubt about the sinfulness of abortion and its negative consequences in this world and the next," he said. "The fundamental question is why abortion has become normalized in today's world."