Why are Iranians protesting?
Protests have swept across Iran in recent days. The unrest began with a merchants’ strike in Tehran on December 28 against the severe economic crisis gripping the country, which has seen the value of its currency plummet to an all-time low, while inflation soared to over 40% in December.
The Iranian economy has struggled for years due to Western sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program. The unrest has grown into broader demands for political change as students and other segments of the population have joined the protests in cities across the country.
In response, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has replaced the central bank chief and has instructed his interior minister to listen to the protesters’ “legitimate demands.”
During an event broadcast on state television, Pezeshkian said, “From an Islamic perspective… if we do not resolve the issue of people’s livelihoods, we will end up in hell.” But authorities have also warned protesters against exploiting the situation, promising a “firm” response to the unrest.
Meanwhile, Trump threatens Iran over protest crackdown as deadly unrest flares.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to come to the aid of protesters in Iran if security forces fire on them, days into unrest that has left several dead and posed the biggest internal threat to Iranian authorities in years.
“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he said in a social media post. The United States struck Iranian nuclear facilities in June, joining an Israeli air campaign that targeted Tehran’s atomic programme and military leadership.
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