A top Iranian official reportedly admitted that Iran’s economy is in dire straits due to the war and the U.S. blockade of the country.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and former commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, made the admission Saturday at a high-level government meeting focused on stabilizing the economy. His paraphrased comments were carried by Iran’s IRNA state news agency, reporting that he “described the circumstances as among the most difficult periods the country has faced.”