TEHRAN, Dec 31: Protests driven by rising prices and a collapsing currency spread across Iran for a third day, moving beyond Tehran into several cities, the BBC reported.
The unrest began on Sunday when shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar went on strike after the Iranian rial fell to a record low against the US dollar on the open market. Since then, demonstrations have been reported in Karaj, Hamedan, Qeshm, Malard, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Shiraz and Yazd, according to BBC Persian.
Videos verified by BBC Persian showed police using tear gas in some areas as they tried to disperse demonstrators, reflecting growing tension on the streets, the BBC said.
The Iranian government acknowledged the protests and said it recognised public grievances. Officials said they would listen with patience, even in the face of harsh criticism, as reported by the BBC.
Rupee slumps to record low against dollar
President Masoud Pezeshkian said late on Monday that he had instructed the interior minister to hold talks with what he described as representatives of the protesters so steps could be taken to address the problems responsibly, the BBC reported.
In a bid to steady the economy, Pezeshkian accepted the resignation of central bank governor Mohammadreza Farzin and appointed former economy and finance minister Abdolnasser Hemmati as his replacement, according to the BBC.
University students also joined the protests, chanting anti-government slogans such as “Death to the dictator,” a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power in Iran, the BBC said.
Some protesters were also heard chanting in support of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, including slogans such as “Long live the Shah,” BBC Persian reported.
Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the United States, posted on X that he stood with the protesters and blamed Iran’s worsening economic conditions on the current system, the BBC reported.
The US State Department’s Persian language account on X also expressed support for the protests, praising demonstrators for their courage and backing calls for dignity and a better future, according to the BBC.
Iran was high on the agenda during talks between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Monday. Trump pointed to Iran’s economic troubles but declined to say if he supported regime change, the BBC said.
Trump also said he could back further Israeli strikes if Iran rebuilt its missile or nuclear programmes. Iran insists its nuclear activities are peaceful and warned on Tuesday that any new act of aggression would trigger a severe response, the BBC reported.
Supreme Leader Khamenei has repeatedly said foreign powers hoped protests would topple the system, but claimed past attempts had failed to influence the public, according to the BBC.
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