For generations, carpet weaving has provided income, identity, and continuity for communities across Iran. In recent years, inflation, economic isolation, and declining opportunities have placed growing pressure on many weaving families. The recent oppression and war has intensified these existing challenges dramatically, adding new uncertainty to already fragile livelihoods.
Following a period of communication disruptions, STEP recently renewed direct contact with artisan communities across Iran. Through conversations conducted by STEP’s country representative during visits to weaving regions, weavers and their families shared personal accounts of how recent events have affected their daily lives and livelihoods.
When STEP’s representative Mohsen visited weaving communities, conversations often began not with carpets or livelihoods, but with survival. Weavers and their families first spoke about the difficult days they had endured during the war, describing fear and uncertainty as military strikes affected not only the country’s capital and other large cities, but also more rural areas like Kazeroun and surrounding communities. Against this backdrop, concerns about lost income, disrupted education, rising costs, restrictions on communication and access to information, and broader pressures on civil society and fundamental rights took on even greater weight. For many artisan families, the conflict did not create these challenges, but it intensified existing hardships and added new layers of insecurity to everyday life.
Iran is widely regarded as one of the historic homes of the hand-knotted carpet. For centuries, weaving has provided employment and cultural identity in rural and urban communities alike. Persian carpets remain internationally recognised for their craftsmanship, intricate designs, and generations of accumulated knowledge.
Yet even before the current war, the sector faced significant challenges. Inflation, rising production costs, international isolation, and declining market opportunities had already weakened many weaving communities. Producers reported increasing difficulties sourcing materials, while many younger people were leaving the profession in search of more stable sources of income.
When Livelihoods Disappear
For many of the weavers and families interviewed, the most immediate concern is making ends meet. While inflation and economic hardship had already placed pressure on weaving communities, the war has added new uncertainty to household livelihoods.
Maryam, a weaver from the Kazeroun region, described how quickly the situation deteriorated for her family. “The war has completely cut off our source of income,” she explained. Her husband had worked for a company in Kazeroun, but after the factory went bankrupt and reduced its workforce, he lost his job. According to her, many families in both the villages and larger cities are facing similar circumstances.
“The war has completely cut off our source of income.”
Maryam, weaver
Several families described lost jobs, shrinking opportunities, and growing difficulties covering daily expenses. Some reported that household incomes had fallen after employers reduced their workforce or businesses slowed their operations. Others explained that weaving alone can no longer provide sufficient income, forcing families to rely on farming, casual labour, or other work to supplement their earnings.
For carpet-producing communities, the consequences extend beyond individual households. Weaving depends on a wider network of producers, suppliers, traders, and exporters. When economic activity slows and demand declines, the effects are felt throughout the entire value chain, placing additional strain on communities that are already navigating an uncertain future.
Weaving Against Rising Costs
The conversations also revealed a growing gap between what weaving earns and what families need to live. While concerns about wages and rising prices are not new, many families described how inflation and economic uncertainty have made it increasingly difficult to keep pace with everyday expenses.
During the visit, STEP also met Zahra and her daughter Narges in their home. Years earlier, STEP’s country representative had encouraged them to apply for social security insurance, and both are now covered. Yet they too expressed concern about the current situation. Narges stressed that “the wages paid by producers and regional agents are extremely low and hardly keep pace with the inflation in the country.”
Many of the other weavers interviewed shared the same concern. They argued that producers and exporters should increase wages so that weaving families can at least cover their basic needs. Several explained that weaving income alone is no longer sufficient, prompting many people to turn to farming or other forms of work in order to earn a living.
“The wages paid by producers and regional agents are extremely low and hardly keep pace with the inflation in the country.”
Narges, daughter of weaver
For carpet weavers, the issue is about more than income alone. Weaving requires years of skill, patience, and experience. When earnings no longer reflect the value of that work, families are forced to look elsewhere for opportunities, raising questions about who will carry these traditions forward in the future.
Education Disrupted
Education emerged as a recurring concern in conversations with weavers and their families. As the war continues to affect daily life across Iran, many students have experienced interruptions to their schooling.
Leila, another weaver, explained that during the war all schools were closed. After the ceasefire, classes resumed online through Iran’s domestic network. However, she said that “the speed and quality of the internet are so poor that sometimes students cannot even access domestic websites.” She added that students in rural areas often miss online classes because they do not have access to reliable internet.
In several communities, school closures have been followed by periods of remote learning. Yet families in rural carpet-producing regions described how internet shutdowns, communication restrictions, and unreliable connectivity have made it difficult for students to participate consistently in online education.
“The speed and quality of the internet are so poor that sometimes students cannot even access domestic websites. Students in rural areas often miss online classes because they do not have access to reliable internet.”
— Leila, weaver
A Craft Tradition Under Strain
The handmade carpet sector depends on stability, long-term investment, and skilled labour. Many of the families interviewed described growing uncertainty about all three.
Nasrin, an experienced weaver and local producer, said that “with the war, everything has changed for the worse.” She described a noticeable decline in weaving orders and pointed to rapidly rising raw material prices. At the same time, she explained that economic hardship has reduced demand for Persian handwoven carpets within Iran itself. “Persian handwoven carpets are simply not a priority for most people right now,” she said.
Weavers reported fewer orders, while producers pointed to rising raw material costs and increasing difficulties obtaining high-quality wool.
Her husband, Reza, added that inflation has made it increasingly difficult for producers to secure raw materials. He also noted that high-quality wool has become scarce, particularly the wool that was previously supplied from Kurdistan Province.
“With the war, everything has changed for the worse. There are fewer orders for weavers to work, while the price of raw materials has risen dramatically.
Nasrin, weaver and local producer
At the same time, economic hardship has reduced purchasing power both within Iran and in many export markets.
The uncertainty extends beyond production itself. Kaveh, an insurance representative working with weaving communities, explained that rising insurance premiums are making coverage increasingly difficult to afford for many low-income weaving families. He also noted that weavers previously qualified for retirement after 20 years of work because weaving was recognised as a physically demanding occupation. Under current regulations, however, they must work for 30 years to receive full retirement benefits. “Today, there is no distinction between weavers and formal workers,” he said.
Together, these pressures affect every stage of the supply chain.
For communities whose identities and livelihoods are closely tied to weaving, concerns about the future of the craft are inseparable from concerns about economic survival.
The Human Impact of War
The testimonies collected by STEP reveal how the effects of war extend far beyond immediate questions of security. Weavers and their families described shrinking livelihoods, disruptions to education, rising living costs, and growing uncertainty about the future.
For communities whose identities and incomes are closely tied to carpet weaving, these challenges are felt throughout daily life. Producers report rising raw material costs and fewer orders, while families struggle to keep pace with inflation and reduced earning opportunities.
STEP condemns violence, repression, restrictions on fundamental freedoms, and violations of human rights that place civilian lives, dignity, and livelihoods at risk. We are deeply concerned by the impact of war, as well as measures that isolate communities, restrict access to information and education, and limit the ability of civil society to operate freely.
Behind every handmade carpet are workers, families, and communities navigating circumstances beyond their control. Their stories remind us that the consequences of war are measured not only in political developments, but also in interrupted educations, fragile livelihoods, and uncertain futures.
