Five things to know about the protests in Iran, now in their sixth day. At least 7 people were killed
Protests over the skyrocketing cost of living in Iran entered their sixth day after the national currency, the rial, fell to a record low against the US dollar in late December. After seven people died in clashes between protesters and security forces, President Masoud Pezeshkian's government appealed for unity and blamed economic pressure on what he called Tehran's “enemies”. Al Jazeera.
Despite government promises to adopt economic reforms and step up the fight against corruption, protests continue. So far, at least seven people have been killed and 44 arrested after traders in Tehran closed their shops on Sunday in protest against Iran's economic crisis.
The tide of protests continued to rise, with demonstrations turning into political protests as discontent spread across the country.
Al Jazeera journalists ask how important the current wave of protests is, how real the protesters' demands are, and where this could lead. They offer a list of five things we need to know about the situation in Iran.
Cost of living worries are very real: food prices up 72%
Iran is one of the most sanctioned countries in the world. A series of international restrictions make it difficult for Tehran to access international financial markets and frozen foreign assets. The growing dependence on imports worsens the situation and fuels inflation.
On Sunday, the Iranian rial fell to 1.42 million to the US dollar, a 56 percent depreciation in just six months. The currency collapse fueled inflation, with food prices rising by an average of 72% over last year.
“If the government, instead of focusing only on fuel, could also reduce the prices of other goods,” taxi driver Majid Ebrahimi told Al Jazeera. “Dairy prices have increased six-fold this year, and other goods more than 10-fold.”
The protests are large: thousands of people have mobilized throughout the country
What began as a single protest by traders in Tehran's Grand Bazaar on Sunday against the collapse of Iran's economy has spread to New Year's Eve in 17 of Iran's 31 provinces, with students and demonstrators from all walks of life joining the demonstrations.
Thousands of people mobilized across the country, with security forces reacting harshly in some areas.
On Thursday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that three people were killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in Lordegan, in southwestern Iran. Three other deaths were reported in Azna and one more in Kouhdasht, both in the center of the country.
“Some protesters started throwing stones at the city's administrative buildings, including the provincial governor's office, the mosque, the Martyrs Foundation, the town hall and banks,” Fars reported of the protests in Lordegan, adding that police responded with tear gas.
It is hard to say how the government will react
Tehran's harsh responses to past social unrest have been marked by the deaths of protesters. So far, however, despite some isolated clashes, Pezeshkian's government has refrained from a widespread crackdown and appears willing to listen to the “legitimate demands” of the demonstrators.
In an attempt to address concerns, the government appointed a new central bank governor on Wednesday. Abdolnaser Hemmati promised to restore economic stability after the dramatic collapse of the rial.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Higher Education removed campus security officers from the University of Tehran and two other major universities. Local media reported that they were fired because of “a history of misconduct and mishandling of recent student protests.”
At a ceremony in Tehran on Thursday to mark the assassination of top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qassem Soleimani, killed in a US drone strike five years ago, Pezeshkian reiterated his government's commitment to economic reforms and fighting corruption.
“We are determined to eradicate all forms of rent-seeking, smuggling and bribery,” he declared. “Those who benefit from these annuities will resist and try to create obstacles, but we will continue on this path.”
“We must all come together to solve people's problems and defend the rights of the oppressed and underprivileged,” he added, stressing that protecting people's livelihoods was a “red line” for his government.
Large-scale protests have taken place before
Massive protests erupted in Iran in 2022 following the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, arrested in September of that year for not wearing the “proper” hijab.
Suppressed revolt in Iran: How Nika, a 17-year-old protester, was hunted down, sexually assaulted and killed – secret document seen by BBC
Demonstrations began after her funeral in the western Iranian city of Saqqez, when women removed their veils in solidarity, before protests spread across much of the country.
The authorities' brutal response included arbitrary mass arrests, extensive use of tear gas, live ammunition fire and, according to human rights groups, the unlawful deaths of hundreds of people.
A 2024 inquiry by UN experts concluded that the government's actions amounted to “crimes against humanity”, a charge rejected by authorities in Tehran as “false” and “biased”.
The so-called morality police were temporarily suspended in December 2022 after protests, but were reactivated the following year. However, the enforcement of the dress code has become noticeably more relaxed, although many women still fear a return of repression.
Iran announces that women who don't wear the hijab will be able to receive “scientific and psychological” counseling at a specialist clinic
The protests could escalate. Donald Trump commented on the situation in Iran
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump, who in 2018 unilaterally withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal, commented on the situation.
“If Iran brutally shoots and kills peaceful protesters as it has done, the United States of America will come to the rescue. We are prepared and ready to act,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
VIDEO Trump warned Iran not to repress the protesters: “The US will come to save them, we have our guns loaded” / What we know about the demonstrations, which also had a “Tiananmen moment”
Also on Thursday, Israel's Foreign Ministry posted on its Persian-language social media account pre-revolutionary Iranian images of a lion and a sun, with the lion having one of its feet on an hourglass containing Iran's current flag. The message read: “Raising the lions and lionesses of Iran to fight the darkness,” continuing with: “Light defeats darkness.”
In June, Israel and the US launched attacks on Iran during a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel.
Although that conflict ended with what the US described as a decisive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, speculation that Israel was preparing further attacks continued.
This week, US website Axios reported that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed further strikes on Iran, as well as possible strikes against Tehran's Lebanese ally Hezbollah.
Reacting on social media, Pezeshkian wrote: “The response of the Islamic Republic of Iran to any cruel aggression will be harsh and disheartening.”
