Iran is facing widespread protests as citizens express their anger over a severe cost of living crisis, with the value of the US dollar soaring to approximately 1.4 million Iranian rials. Demonstrations began earlier this week and have rapidly engulfed both urban and rural areas, particularly affecting communities grappling with economic hardships.
As the protests evolve, President Masoud Pezeshkian has indicated a willingness to engage in dialogue, though he acknowledged that the government is limited in its ability to address the crisis, largely due to the rial’s dramatic decline. Iranian consumers, especially in Tehran, have taken to the streets, blaming lawmakers’ economic mismanagement for their plight.
The situation escalated on Thursday as protests spread across the nation. Economists have long warned of the dire economic conditions affecting the country. A report from Iran International noted that the cost of locally favored Tarom Hashemi rice had surged to around 4 million rials per kilogram, equivalent to approximately $3.56 per pound. This marks a staggering 230% increase compared to the previous year, with the overall consumer price inflation rate reaching 48.6%.
“[Ayatollah] Ali Khamenei has spent over four decades chasing war, missiles and chanting, ‘Death to this or that.’ Now we can’t even afford rice,” lamented a shopper in Karaj during an interview with Iran International.
The frustration has not been limited to food prices. Cheap gasoline, traditionally considered a right by many Iranians, saw price hikes in December that ignited public outrage, prompting the government to implement new subsidies. Protests have primarily centered around the bazaars, crucial marketplaces where locals purchase their daily necessities.
As businesses, universities, and government offices shuttered, demonstrators began to chant slogans against the regime, adapting the former chants of loyalty into cries of “Death to the dictator.” While protests in Tehran have waned, unrest has intensified in other regions, leading to violent confrontations. Reports indicate that at least three individuals have died in clashes between protestors and security forces, including a 21-year-old volunteer officer from the Revolutionary Guard’s Basij force, who was killed during protests on Wednesday night. The state-run IRNA news agency attributed his death to demonstrators, with local officials framing the protests as threats to public order.
Saeed Pourali, a deputy governor in Lorestan province, remarked, “The protests that have occurred are due to economic pressures, inflation and currency fluctuations, and are an expression of livelihood concerns.” He emphasized the need for authorities to listen to citizens with care and tact, warning against allowing demands to be manipulated by opportunistic individuals.
The Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran confirmed the identities of two additional protesters who lost their lives during demonstrations in Lordegan. In an effort to deflect blame from the government’s economic policies, President Pezeshkian suggested that foreign interference is the primary cause of civil unrest.
“Right now, the enemy has placed most of its hopes on knocking us down through economic pressure. You cannot conquer a nation with bombs, fighter jets, or missiles,” he stated at a business forum in Tehran. He further asserted that if the nation remains united and determined, it would be impossible for external forces to bring Iran to its knees.
As the situation continues to develop, the Iranian government faces mounting pressure to address the economic turmoil that has ignited such widespread discontent among its citizens.
