Iran’s absent Supreme Leader is begging employers to “avoid layoffs” as the nation’s economic woes continue to face pressure from the US blockade in rare public remarks — admitting that the nation is facing punishing economic conditions. One taxi driver in Tehran admitted to a reporter this week that even eggs have become too expensive to afford. With Iran’s currency, the rial, plummeting and inflation at more than 53%, Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf urged everyday citizens to buckle up as Tehran seeks to outlast the US on the “economic battlefield.” “My request to all people is that you practice saving and be frugal,” Ghalibaf said in a statement. Iranians are contending with sky-high prices amid the war and US naval blockade. via REUTERS Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since his ascension, asked his people to endure the economic pain and help each other out.…