Massive protests extend in Iran as students storm the streets ahead of new year
Protests and strikes in Iran over rising inflation and sharp currency devaluation have spread from the capital, Tehran, to several other cities, marking a third consecutive day of unrest.
The demonstrations began on Sunday after shopkeepers at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar staged a strike when the Iranian rial hit a record low against the US dollar on the open market.
Protests widen beyond Tehran
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Since then, videos verified by BBC Persian have shown protests in Karaj, Hamedan, Qeshm, Malard, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Shiraz and Yazd. Police were also seen using tear gas in an attempt to disperse demonstrators.
The Iranian government said it recognises the protests and would listen with patience, even if confronted with what it described as harsh voices.
Government response and leadership changes
President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X late on Monday that he had instructed the interior minister to hold talks with what he termed representatives of the protesters so that measures could be taken to resolve the problems and act responsibly.
He also accepted the resignation of Iran’s central bank governor, Mohammadreza Farzin, and appointed former economy and finance minister Abdolnasser Hemmati as his replacement.
University students have also joined the protests, chanting anti-government slogans including “Death to the dictator”, a reference to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power in the country.
Some protesters were also heard chanting slogans in support of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In response, Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the United States, wrote on X: “I am with you. Victory is ours because our cause is just and because we are united.”
He added that as long as the current regime remains in power, Iran’s economic situation would continue to deteriorate.
The US State Department’s Persian-language account on X also expressed support for the protests, saying the United States praises the protesters’ courage and stands with those seeking dignity and a better future after years of failed policies and economic mismanagement.
Iran was reportedly high on the agenda during a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Monday.
At a joint news conference afterwards, Trump declined to say whether he supported regime change in Iran but said the country was grappling with severe inflation and economic collapse.
Trump also said he might back another round of Israeli air strikes if Iran rebuilt its ballistic missile or nuclear programmes.
“If they continue with missiles, yes. The nuclear one, fast, okay? One will be yes absolutely. The other, we will do it immediately,” he said.
During a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, the United States carried out air strikes on key Iranian uranium enrichment sites. Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.
President Pezeshkian vowed on Tuesday that Iran’s response to any oppressive act of aggression would be severe and regret-inducing.
Iran’s supreme leader has repeatedly claimed that Israel hoped mass protests would erupt during the war and topple the regime.
“They wanted to create sedition on the streets, but people were absolutely not influenced by what the enemy wanted,” Khamenei said in September.
