The unrest highlights deep frustration with Iran’s leadership as sanctions and last year’s war with Israel and the United States continue to batter the economy.
Demonstrators have voiced not only economic grievances but also political opposition to the ruling theocracy, raising fears of a harsher crackdown reminiscent of past protest waves.
Much of Iran was closed Wednesday in what officials attributed to cold weather, though analysts suggested the move was aimed at curbing demonstrations.
Protests have expanded from Tehran and major cities into smaller towns in the west, drawing merchants, students, and residents frustrated by inflation and the steep fall of the rial, now trading at roughly 1.4 million to the dollar.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged public anger over financial hardship, telling state television during a visit to southwestern Iran that leaders must take responsibility.
“If people are dissatisfied, we are to blame,” he said, adding that officials should not deflect blame onto foreign powers. His remarks contrasted with other officials who accused “enemies” abroad of fueling the unrest.
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who served as the shah of Iran from 1941 to 1979, urged people to look at the country during and after his leadership when he was asked about how Iranians will judge him 50 years later during an interview.
“If they read history, they will see what it was before my father, what it was when I took over, and what it was when I left,” Pahlavi said, according to a video of the 1980 interview posted on YouTube.
The interviewer had asked Pahlavi how future Iranians would judge him 50 years from then.
Pahlavi fled Iran in 1979 amid violent demonstrations against his rule. Now, 47 years after his rule ended, protests have broken out again in Iran.
Continue reading: Shah’s 50-Year Prediction for Future of Iran Resurfaces Amid Protests
At least six people were killed Thursday as demonstrations over Iran’s worsening economy spread into rural provinces, marking the first deaths since the unrest began. Authorities said five protesters and one member of the security forces died in clashes in Lordegan and Azna, where government buildings were damaged and police responded with tear gas.
The protests, the largest since the 2022 uprising following Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody, have slowed in Tehran but intensified elsewhere. Human rights groups confirmed fatalities among demonstrators, while state media reported the death of a 21‑year‑old Basij volunteer during separate protests in Lorestan province.
Officials attributed the unrest to inflation and the collapse of the rial, now trading at roughly 1.4 million to the dollar. Reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian has signaled willingness to negotiate but acknowledged limited options. Security forces have arrested dozens, including alleged monarchists and opposition figures, while confiscating weapons.
The demonstrations come as Iran reels from last summer’s war with Israel and ongoing sanctions tied to its nuclear program. Protesters have voiced anger not only at economic hardship but also at the country’s theocratic leadership, raising fears of a harsher crackdown ahead.
The current protests are defined by an unprecedented coalition: Bazaar merchants demanding economic stability, students calling for political change, and labor unions pressing for unpaid wages.
This convergence, occurring without centralized leadership, has created a decentralized movement that is harder for authorities to suppress.
With over 500 arrests since late December and continued demonstrations despite tear gas and force, the “fear barrier” appears broken.
Analysts warn that if economic discontent spreads to rank‑and‑file security forces, Iran could face its gravest existential crisis since 1979.
Iran’s inflation rate reached 48.6% in October 2025, eroding the purchasing power of the middle class and poor alike. Food prices surged more than 70% year‑over‑year, collapsing the subsidy system that once cushioned households.
Unlike earlier protests tied to specific fuel hikes, this wave of unrest is universal, connecting retirees, merchants, and students under shared economic strain.
Demonstrators in cities like Fasa have moved beyond demands for price relief, targeting the regime itself as the source of the crisis.
On December 29, 2025, the Iranian rial plunged to a historic low of 144,000 tomans per dollar, shattering confidence in the government’s economic management.
Within three days, strikes spread across 21 provinces, with merchants from Tehran’s Grand Bazaar joining students and pensioners in protest.
The breadth of participation marked a departure from past unrest, signaling a structural challenge to the regime’s stability. Reports from Lorestan province confirmed the first protest‑related fatality, underscoring the volatility of the moment.
Iran’s most significant protests in three years turned deadly overnight into Thursday, with multiple fatalities reported by state media and rights groups. Demonstrations that began in Tehran over soaring inflation and a collapsing currency have spread nationwide, drawing in shopkeepers, students, and other groups.
In the western city of Lordegan, clashes between police and protesters left several dead and wounded, according to the rights group Hengaw. Authorities also confirmed one death in Kuhdasht, while another was reported in Isfahan. The Revolutionary Guards said a member of its Basij paramilitary unit was killed and more than a dozen injured.
The unrest comes after officials offered an unusual “dialogue mechanism” earlier this week, though security forces have continued to respond forcefully. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Thursday that authorities would meet with union and vendor representatives, but details remain unclear.
With inflation near 40 percent and sanctions deepening economic strain, the protests pose a major test for Iran’s leadership, which faces mounting anger and limited options to ease the crisis.
The U.S. State Department has urged American citizens in Iran to exercise heightened caution as demonstrations over the country’s worsening economy enter a fifth day.
In a statement from the U.S. Virtual Embassy in Iran, officials warned that protests have led to an increased security presence, road closures, transportation disruptions, and intermittent internet blockages. The advisory noted that gatherings could turn violent, resulting in arrests and injuries.
Americans in Iran were advised to avoid crowds, keep a low profile, monitor local media, and prepare independent plans to leave the country, as U.S. assistance may be limited. Iran remains under a “do not travel” designation due to risks including terrorism, unrest, and arbitrary detention.
The protests, marked by chants against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reflect deep frustration with inflation and economic decline. In a Farsi-language post, the State Department said demonstrators are demanding respect, access to services, and self-determination, adding that the United States “stands in solidarity with the people of Iran in their pursuit of fundamental rights.”
Iranian authorities have shut schools and government offices in 26 of the country’s 31 provinces, a move widely seen as an attempt to ease tensions after days of protests over inflation and economic mismanagement.
The closures began December 31, coinciding with unusually clear skies in Tehran that allowed residents to glimpse Mount Damavand, a symbol of resilience long obscured by smog. Protesters noted the view as emblematic of dissent reemerging.
Despite the softer tone from officials, reports suggest security forces have intensified arrests and shootings. The appointment of Ahmad Vahidi, a hardline loyalist to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards signals a potential return to harsher tactics if demonstrations continue.
Iran’s government has taken a markedly different approach to protests this week, allowing media coverage and keeping the internet broadly accessible as demonstrations spread beyond economic grievances.
Unlike past crackdowns in 2019 and 2022, when authorities swiftly shut down communications and branded protesters as foreign agents, state broadcasters have acknowledged the unrest and even stated that “protesters have every right to protest rising prices.” President Masoud Pezeshkian echoed that sentiment, saying citizens do not need permits to demonstrate under the constitution.
Officials have promised reforms, with the new central bank governor, Abdolnasser Hemmati, vowing to tackle inflation and end privileges for the well-connected. Whether these conciliatory gestures signal a lasting shift or a temporary tactic remains unclear.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned Tuesday that the country would deliver a “harsh and discouraging” response to any aggression, a statement widely seen as directed at U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Pezeshkian’s remarks came a day after Trump suggested renewed military strikes could be ordered if Iran attempts to rebuild its nuclear program. Trump made the comments during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate, where both leaders discussed Tehran’s capabilities months after a 12-day air war in June.
That conflict killed nearly 1,100 Iranians and 28 people in Israel, with Washington claiming major damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. U.S. officials later assessed the strikes had delayed Iran’s program by months, though Trump insisted they had set it back “decades.”
Analysts note that while Iran retains enriched uranium, its immediate leverage lies in its large arsenal of conventional ballistic missiles, which pose a threat to Israel and U.S. forces in the region. Pezeshkian has accused Western powers of destabilizing Iran, saying the country is already in “full-scale war” with the U.S., Israel, and Europe.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has acknowledged that the government bears responsibility for public dissatisfaction, saying mismanagement—not foreign powers—is to blame for the country’s economic and social struggles.
“If people are dissatisfied, we are to blame—not America or anyone else,” Pezeshkian said in remarks carried by local media. He emphasized that officials must manage resources more effectively, improve efficiency, and address citizens’ needs.
“Our failures are the result of poor management,” he added.
Several people were killed overnight in Iran as protests over soaring inflation and the collapse of the national currency escalated into violent clashes, according to local media and rights groups.
Deaths were reported in Lordegan, Kuhdasht, and Isfahan, though casualty figures differ between state outlets and activists. The Revolutionary Guards said one member of its Basij paramilitary unit was killed in Kuhdasht, while rights group Hengaw claimed he was a protester shot by security forces.
The demonstrations, the largest in three years, began with shopkeepers protesting the government’s handling of the currency slide and have since spread to multiple provinces. Activist networks reported arrests in Kermanshah, Khuzestan, and Hamedan, while protests continued in Marvdasht in Fars province.
The unrest comes amid 40 percent inflation, Western sanctions, and regional tensions. Authorities have offered dialogue with merchants and unions, but continue to deploy security forces to contain the crisis.