The unrest began on Sunday, December 28, 2025, after shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar went on strike when the Iranian rial hit 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.
Security forces were seen using tear gas in several locations in an attempt to disperse crowds, according to eyewitness accounts.
The Iranian government said it “recognizes the protests” and would listen “with patience, even if confronted with harsh voices.” President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had instructed the interior minister to hold talks with what he described as representatives of the protesters to find solutions to the economic crisis.
In a significant development, Pezeshkian 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 also joined the demonstrations, chanting anti government slogans including “Death to the dictator,” a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority in the country.
Some protesters were heard chanting slogans in support of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. “Long live the Shah” was among the chants reported from several protest sites.
Responding from exile in the United States, Reza Pahlavi wrote on X that he stood with the protesters, saying victory would come through unity and justice. He added that Iran’s economic situation would continue to worsen as long as the current system remains in power.
The United States Department of State also expressed support through its Persian language account on X, praising the protesters’ courage and backing their demand for dignity and a better future after years of economic mismanagement.
US President Donald Trump declined to explicitly support regime change but said at a joint news conference that Iran was facing severe economic problems, citing high inflation and a struggling economy, according to BBC.
