Iran's economy is collapsing under runaway inflation while Trump publicly weighs a deal against destroying the country — bad news for ordinary Iranians either way.

• Iran's own government admits prices are rising close to 70% a year, and claims inside the US put the real figure as high as 300%.
• The truth is probably somewhere in between, but either number means Iranians are losing their savings and buying power fast.
• Sanctions and military pressure have wrecked most of Iran's economy, leaving inflation as the one thing still going up.
• Trump has framed the choice bluntly: either a deal that lets Iran rebuild into a regional power, or annihilation.

Outlook: Expect more pressure and hard-edged threats aimed at forcing Iran to the negotiating table, with the economy squeezed harder in the meantime.