We took a ride in Iran’s Uber to see how Trump’s new sanctions are really playing out

Iran’s economy is feeling the heat under new U.S. sanctions that dropped last week. And for ordinary Iranians trying to make a living, the situation is getting urgent.

Protests have escalated for months over rising prices seen across the country, including in the capital Tehran after the Iranian rial plunged to new lows in May following President Trump's decision to pull out of the nuclear deal. The new sanctions prompted Iran's Supreme Leader to declare that the Trump administration shouldn't be trusted with any direct talks again.

But with major companies pulling out of the country, things could still get worse.

For Majid Fatemi, a driver with Iran's version of Uber (called Tap30), the future looks bleak. The ride-sharing app was launched in the run-up to the lifting of U.S. sanctions in 2015. But now that sanctions are back, Majid’s profit margins aren’t looking so good.

"I think that in the near future, I don't want to say there will be a war, but there definitely will be some sort of domestic conflict, because so many people are under pressure," Majid told VICE News.

This segment originally aired August 13, 2018 on VICE News Tonight on HBO.