Protests in Iran right now are mainly about a deep economic crisis (hyperinflation, collapsing currency, rising prices) that has morphed into broader anger at corruption, repression, and the ruling system itself. Many protesters are no longer just asking for economic relief, but openly calling for political change and an end to the Islamic Republic.

What started the protests?

The latest wave of unrest began after the Iranian rial plunged in value and prices for basic goods, especially food, spiked again. Shopkeepers, bazaar merchants, pensioners, and students were among the first to protest, closing stores and gathering in city centers to demand relief.

  • Hyperinflation and loss of purchasing power pushed many middle‑ and low‑income families toward poverty.
  • Energy shortages, water and electricity cuts, and lagging wages fed a sense that the state cannot manage the economy.
  • Earlier frustrations from previous protest waves (2019 fuel protests, 2022 Mahsa Amini protests) created a long‑running reservoir of anger that this crisis tapped into.

What are people demanding?

What began as economic protests quickly took on a more openly political tone in many cities. Slogans and banners show a mix of immediate economic demands and systemic political demands.

  • Protesters call for lower prices, job security, and protection of their savings and pensions.
  • Many chant “freedom,” “death to the dictator,” and “death to the Islamic Republic,” signaling a desire to end the current system, not just tweak policies.
  • Some slogans criticize Iran’s regional policies with lines like “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran,” accusing leaders of spending on foreign allies instead of domestic needs.

Who is protesting?

The unrest is spread across social groups and regions rather than limited to one class or city. That breadth is part of why analysts say it is the most serious wave of protests since 2022.

  • Merchants and small business owners in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and other commercial hubs have staged strikes and closures.
  • University students and younger Iranians (Gen Z) are active on campuses and streets, often at the front of more openly political protests.
  • Pensioners, teachers, and public‑sector workers join over unpaid wages and shrinking pensions, connecting their struggles to corruption and mismanagement.

How is the government responding?

The state has tried a combination of limited concessions, messaging, and force, with security forces heavily deployed in major cities. Officials frame the crisis as partly caused by foreign pressure while also promising economic reforms.

  • President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly acknowledged “the livelihood of the people” as a major concern and spoken about reforming the monetary and banking system, but key security levers remain outside his control.
  • Security forces have used tear gas and, in some cases, live ammunition; dozens of protesters have reportedly been arrested and there are documented injuries.
  • Authorities ordered temporary nationwide business and office shutdowns—formally citing cold weather—but analysts say the timing looks aimed at breaking protest momentum.

Why does this wave matter?

Observers see these protests as part of a longer pattern of recurring unrest rather than an isolated flare‑up. Each new wave tends to be broader and more explicitly directed at the system itself.

  • Experts argue the economic crisis is the trigger, but the depth of anger now goes to legitimacy of the theocratic state and trust in any promise of reform.
  • The mix of economic, social, and political grievances suggests Iran may be entering a cycle of repeated crises instead of a quick “return to normal.”
  • At the same time, no one can say with confidence whether this will become a full‑scale revolution; many note that the state still has significant repression capacity.

TL;DR: The protests in Iran are about much more than prices: they were sparked by economic collapse but have grown into a broad challenge to corruption, repression, and the Islamic Republic’s rule itself.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.