Iran Protests Spread Beyond Tehran as Economic Crisis Fuels Unrest, At Least Six Dead
Iran has been shaken by a fresh wave of protests that began in Tehran and have since spread to cities across the country, leaving at least six people dead in clashes with security forces. The demonstrations, driven largely by economic distress, mark the most serious unrest the country has seen since 2023, according to analysts.
While state media has downplayed the scale of the protests, social media platforms have been flooded with videos showing street demonstrations, confrontations, and chants against the government. Many of these clips are difficult to independently verify, and some appear to have been edited or manipulated, complicating efforts to assess the full picture.
How the protests began
The unrest started on Sunday in Tehran, when shopkeepers in parts of the capital shut their businesses in protest against soaring prices and prolonged economic stagnation. Iran’s economy has been under intense strain for years, battered by international sanctions linked to its nuclear programme. Inflation has surged, the national currency has sharply depreciated, and the cost of basic goods has climbed beyond the reach of many households.
By Tuesday, the protests had widened. Students took to campuses in Tehran and in central cities such as Isfahan and Yazd. Merchants in Tehran’s historic Grand Bazaar also joined the demonstrations, giving the movement added momentum.
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According to an AFP tally based on Iranian media and official statements, protests have now been reported in at least 20 locations, largely in western parts of the country. In the southern city of Fasa, videos verified by AFP showed dozens of people gathering outside a government building, throwing objects and attempting to break through its gate.
Slogans echo past unrest
Rights group Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), citing verified footage, said protesters have chanted slogans such as “Death to the dictator” and “Woman, Life, Freedom.” AFP has not independently confirmed the audio from these videos.
Those slogans carry powerful symbolism. They were widely heard during the mass protests that followed the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman who died in custody after being arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s dress code for women. That protest movement was eventually crushed through mass arrests and harsh crackdowns, but it left deep scars on Iranian society.
A broader and tense context
Analysts say the current unrest reflects more than just frustration over prices. “The protesters are very clear in their slogans — they are not looking for reform,” said Gissou Nia, a US-Iranian human rights lawyer with the Atlantic Council. She noted that the demonstrations come at a time when the Islamic Republic is facing mounting internal and external pressures.
Regionally, Iran has been weakened in recent months. In June, Israel and the United States struck Iranian nuclear sites and killed senior military figures during a brief but intense conflict. US President Donald Trump has since warned that Washington would act again if Iran attempted to rebuild its nuclear facilities, and he has said the US is “locked and loaded” if protesters are killed.
At the same time, Iran’s regional allies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria have suffered significant setbacks. Many Iranians have long resented the state’s financial and military support for groups such as Hezbollah while living standards at home continue to fall. Iran International, a London-based channel critical of the government, reported chants of “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran” at some recent rallies.
Government response so far
Clashes between protesters and security forces intensified on Thursday, with six reported deaths — the first fatalities since the unrest escalated. Authorities have also reported dozens of arrests across several cities.
On Wednesday, schools, banks and public offices were shut nationwide for what officials described as a public holiday due to cold weather and energy conservation. Critics, however, see the closures as an attempt to curb protest activity.
The government has acknowledged public anger and announced limited measures, including replacing the central bank governor. President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist, said this week that his administration would “end up in hell,” in religious terms, if it failed to address people’s economic suffering.
“The government understands that merchants are the lifeblood of Iran’s economy,” said French-Iranian sociologist Azadeh Kian. “It is obliged to take steps, even partial ones, to respond to these grievances.”
Notably, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has yet to comment publicly on the protests.
How far could it go?
Opposition figures abroad have welcomed the unrest. Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last shah, described 2026 as a “definitive moment for change,” while exile groups said Iranians were seeking freedom from religious rule.
Still, experts urge caution. Kian said the current protests do not yet match the scale of earlier economic uprisings, such as the nationwide demonstrations in 2019 sparked by fuel price hikes, which spread to around 100 cities and left hundreds dead. “I very much doubt the current rallies could overthrow the regime,” she said.
Arash Azizi, a postdoctoral associate and lecturer at Yale University, offered a more nuanced view. While the protests may not threaten the system’s immediate survival, he called them “the most serious wave of protests since 2023.”
With living standards continuing to decline, he added, Iran’s leadership is likely to face recurring bouts of unrest. “The underlying causes haven’t gone away,” Azizi said.