Dozens of Protesters Arrested During Iran’s Nationwide Protests

Mehdi Hosseini
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Dozens of Protesters Arrested During Iran’s Nationwide Protests
Six days after the start of nationwide protests in Iran, security forces of the Iranian regime have arrested dozens of protesters in various cities. So far, no precise figure for the number of detainees has been released. Meanwhile, Mansour Saleki, the political, social, and security deputy of the governor of Malard, a city in Tehran province, announced on Thursday, January 1, the arrest of 30 people, describing them as disruptors of public order. Kazem Nazari, the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Kuhdasht in Lorestan province, also said that at least 20 protesters have been arrested in this city.
Protests in Iran Entered Their Sixth Day, and Iran’s Regime Has So Far Killed Several People
Following public protests in the city of Farsan in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, at least 20 protesters were also arrested, most of whom were under 18 years old. Yousef Ahmadi-Pour, deputy commander of the Law Enforcement Forces in Lorestan province, also reported the arrest of one person in the city of Khorramabad. The HRANA human rights website also reported on Thursday that six women who had been arrested during widespread citizen protests in Tehran were transferred on the evening of Wednesday, December 31, to the women’s ward of Evin Prison after one day of detention in security facilities. The state-run Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also quoted “an informed source” in the Ministry of Intelligence as saying that seven citizens had been arrested in Kermanshah, adding: “These individuals were elements affiliated with the opposition and intended to turn the protests violent.” The security and judicial apparatuses of the Iranian regime routinely attribute detained protesters to opposition groups and accuse them of violent acts. Nevertheless, in protests in past years, numerous reports have been published about the deliberate carrying out of such violent acts by security forces themselves. Meanwhile, the head of the judiciary of Fasa city announced, following clashes between law enforcement and security forces and protesters in front of the city’s governor’s office, that four protesting citizens were arrested during the confrontation. Some channels close to security institutions have claimed that one of the arrested protesters was a 27-year-old woman. On the other hand, a video circulated on social media in which the person filming reported the arrest of a citizen by plainclothes security forces in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and called on other citizens to intervene to prevent the arrest. Meanwhile, according to HRANA, following the publication of a call for a protest gathering in the city of Behbahan, four people were arrested by security forces on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. According to student channels, security agents also arrested several female students on Wednesday night in front of Beheshti University in Tehran. At the same time, the Khajeh Nasir newsletter channel wrote on Thursday that alongside the nationwide protests in Iran and protests at universities, “a new wave of anonymous and private-number calls from intelligence and security institutions” has begun. Quoting numerous student reports, the newsletter added that these calls are mainly directed at individuals who previously had a history of summons, security cases, or contact by security institutions. Contact with some other students has also been reported who, “for specific but publicly unstateable reasons,” have been placed on the pressure lists of these institutions. Referring to the fact that “the intelligence institutions of Iran’s corrupt system” have long targeted families instead of directly contacting students and pursue summons and threats through psychological pressure, the Khajeh Nasir newsletter added: “Calls are made directly to the student’s mother; a deliberate attempt to wound emotions, instill fear in the family, and break the student’s resistance through emotional means.” Regarding the arrest of protesting students and their subsequent rapid release, the newsletter wrote: “The aim is not judicial response but merely to create fear, intimidation, and to push back the student movement. These calls are understandable precisely within this framework.” During the 2022 protests, Iran’s regime arrested close to 30,000 people and killed more than 750 people in Iran’s streets.

Protests in Iran Entered Their Sixth Day, and Iran’s Regime Has So Far Killed Several People

Sia Rajabi
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Protests in Iran Entered Their Sixth Day, and Iran’s Regime Has So Far Killed Several People
On the sixth day of nationwide protests in Iran, gatherings and marches continued in a number of cities, and during the funerals of three slain protesters, chants were raised against the Iranian regime. At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump said that if Iran’s regime kills peaceful protesters, the United States will come to their aid. Protesting citizens in the city of Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan province in southeastern Iran, on Friday, January 2, on the sixth day of nationwide protests, chanted slogans including “Death to the dictator,” “Death to Khamenei,” “Khamenei, have shame, let go of the country,” “We swear by the blood of our comrades, we will stand to the end,” and “Iranian, shout out, cry out for your rights.”
Bazaar Protests Expand in Iran as Economic Demands Turn Become Political

Those killed in the protests

The PMOI released the names and particulars of eight protesters killed by the regime’s security forces in recent protests, including a 15-year-old. The death toll is larger and the opposition is investigating into the details. Various sources confirmed by noon on January 2 the identities of five protesters killed in the cities of Kuhdasht, Fuladshahr, Marvdasht, Azna, and Lordegan. Amirhossein Khodayari-Fard, Daryoush Ansari Bakhtiarvand, Khodadad Shirvani-Monfared, Shayan Asadollahi, and Ahmad Jalil are the five slain protesters whose identities have been confirmed. The funerals of Shirvani, Ansari, and Khodayari-Fard were held on January 2 in the cities of Marvdasht, Kuhdasht, and Fuladshahr, despite the heavy presence of security forces. Participants in these ceremonies chanted slogans including “This flower has been torn apart and has become a gift to the homeland,” “Death to Khamenei,” and “Basij, IRGC, you are ISIS to us.” Videos published on social media also show that protesting citizens held a protest march after the end of Shirvani’s funeral ceremony. At the same time, images published showed that participants in Khodayari-Fard’s funeral drove away regime forces present at the ceremony, including members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij militia.

Reaction to the protests

U.S. President Donald Trump, referring to the ongoing protests in Iran, wrote on the Truth Social platform that “if Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters,” the US would intervene, adding, “We are locked and loaded.” In this message, Trump emphasized that, according to him, violently killing protesters is the usual practice of Iran’s regime and that Washington will respond under such circumstances. Trump also announced that the United States is on “full alert” and ready to take action. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, wrote on X: “The American people should know that Trump started the adventurism and should watch over their soldiers.” Larijani added: “With the positions taken by Israeli officials and Trump, the behind-the-scenes of the matter became clear. We distinguish between the positions of protesting shopkeepers and destructive elements, and Trump should know that U.S. interference in this internal issue is equal to destabilizing the entire region and destroying U.S. interests.” Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the foreign ministry of the Iranian regime, also wrote on his X account that Iranians, through dialogue and interaction with one another to resolve problems, “will not allow any form of foreign interference.” Ali Shamkhani, a member of Iran’s regime Defense Council, also wrote on X: “Any interfering hand that approaches Iran’s security under pretexts will be cut off with a regret-inducing response before it reaches its goal.” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the regime’s parliament, also wrote: “The disrespectful president of America should know that all American centers and forces throughout the entire region will be legitimate targets for us in response to any potential adventurism.”

Thirty-Eight Percent of Iran’s Oil Revenue Did Not Return to the Country From March to November

Jubin Katiraie
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Thirty-Eight Percent of Iran’s Oil Revenue Did Not Return to the Country From March to November
Gholamreza Tajgardoun, head of the Budget Consolidation Commission of the Iranian regime’s parliament (Majlis), announced that over eight months in the current year (from March to November), about eight billion dollars, equivalent to 38% of Iran’s oil sales revenue, did not return to the country. Tajgardoun said on Wednesday, December 31, referring to the significant gap between oil sales and collected revenues, that Iran’s regime sold about 21 billion dollars’ worth of oil over eight months, but only 13 billion dollars of that amount was actually received. He also addressed the decline in the regime’s oil revenues under current conditions and added: “The government’s share of oil revenues in the 2026 budget bill has decreased from 12 billion dollars to eight billion dollars, which is considered one of the serious challenges facing the budget.”
US Sanctions 17 Entities, Individuals Linked To Iranian Regime Oil Network
In recent weeks, the rising exchange rates of foreign currencies have worsened economic conditions in Iran, and amid this situation, some officials of the Iranian regime have cited the failure to return export revenues as one of the causes of this crisis. The intensification of livelihood hardships, the Iranian regime’s inability to contain the economic crisis, and officials’ insistence on continuing nuclear and missile programs have led to widespread anger and dissatisfaction among the Iranian people. At the same time, citizens have held protest gatherings in various parts of the country, chanting slogans against the Iranian regime and calling for the overthrow of the government. On December 27, Hossein Ali Haji Deligani, deputy head of the Article 90 Commission of the Iranian regime’s parliament, reported that a number of “trustee” companies involved in selling Iran’s oil had not returned the foreign currency earned from sales to the country, and that their debt has reached 6.7 billion dollars. Trustee companies are entities trusted by the Iranian regime that act as intermediaries to find buyers for Iran’s sanctioned oil shipments. These companies, which are often registered in third countries, are responsible for selling the oil, receiving payments, and transferring foreign currency resources. The issue of unreturned foreign currency is not limited solely to Iran’s oil sales. Hossein Samasami, a member of the Majlis Economic Commission, said on December 13, citing non-oil export statistics, that over the past seven years, more than 116 billion dollars in export revenue has not returned to the country.

Reasons for the rejection of the budget bill

The head of the Budget Consolidation Commission went on to cite some of the reasons for the rejection of the 2026 budget bill as “the mismatch between government employees’ wage increases and the inflation rate,” “concerns over the rise of the poverty line,” and “a lack of transparency in revenues from oil sales.” Tajgardoun said: “The commission’s conclusion and the view of the majority of representatives is that salary increases will certainly be higher than 20%. The pay raise will be implemented in an inverse stepped manner so that lower-income earners receive a higher percentage increase.” He reported that lawmakers opposed a two percent increase in the value-added tax and added that the plan was rejected due to its “inflationary effects and additional pressure on the production and consumption chain,” and that even a one percent increase did not receive lawmakers’ approval. Tajgardoun emphasized the need to reorganize tax exemptions and continued: “Some legal entities and large companies enjoy very high exemptions, parts of which can be adjusted, and the resulting resources can be used to support people’s livelihoods.”

Bazaar Protests Expand in Iran as Economic Demands Turn Become Political

Jubin Katiraie
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Bazaar Protests Expand in Iran as Economic Demands Turn Become Political
The French daily newspaper Le Monde wrote in a report that the protests that have taken shape in Iran in recent days are directly linked to the sharp decline in the value of the rial and soaring prices and have now gone beyond purely economic demands. A distinguishing feature of this wave of protests is the active presence of bazaar merchants and segments of the core of the country’s economy, a group that usually plays a decisive role in economic and social stability. The newspaper emphasizes that unlike previous protests, which were mostly identified with the participation of students or elite groups, this time shopkeepers and small-scale economic actors are at the forefront of the protests, a development that experts say could carry more serious consequences for the ruling authorities.
Contrary to Predictions, Protests in Iran Expanded After the 12-Day War
The report goes on to say that protesters’ slogans in cities have moved beyond economic demands and have clearly taken on a political tone. Le Monde wrote that direct confrontation with political leaders and opposition to the regional policies of the Iranian regime can be seen among the slogans, a sign of rising anger among the middle class and lower-income segments of society. The sharp decline in purchasing power, the staggering rise in food prices, and stagnant wages have put the daily lives of millions of Iranians under pressure. Under such conditions, many families have been forced to purchase basic necessities on installment plans. In the final part of the report, Le Monde does not limit the roots of the crisis solely to internal factors and also points to intensified international sanctions and the recent monetary policies of Iran’s Central Bank as contributing factors. According to the newspaper, some analysts believe these policies have benefited large exporters and institutions close to power more than importers and consumers. The report ultimately concludes that although some observers consider the immediate collapse of Iran’s political system unlikely, the depth of social discontent and the continuation of economic pressures have cast serious doubt over the country’s prospects for stability.

Contrary to Predictions, Protests in Iran Expanded After the 12-Day War

Esmaeil Mohades
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Contrary to Predictions, Protests in Iran Expanded After the 12-Day War
The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal, a major US daily newspaper, wrote in an article that contrary to the predictions of many experts who believed a military attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would lead to public solidarity with the ruling authorities, recent developments have shown a different trajectory. The article, published on the evening of Wednesday, December 31, states that only a few months after Israeli and US attacks during the 12-day war, various cities across Iran have witnessed street protests by citizens. The protests began among shopkeepers and merchants at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar but gradually spread to other cities and social groups. Students have joined the protests, and truck and bus drivers have also expressed support.
What Happened on the Fourth Day of Protests in Iran?
Economic demands are at the forefront of public discontent, including 42% inflation, a 40% decline in the value of the national currency against the dollar since the 12-day war, water shortages, and the lack of stable access to energy. Anti-government protests in Iran entered their fifth consecutive day on Thursday, January 1, 2026. In recent days, protesters have chanted slogans including “Death to the dictator,” calling for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.

The president of Iran’s regime called for dialogue with protesters

Later in the article, The Wall Street Journal refers to protesters’ chants of “Death to the dictator” and “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, I sacrifice my life for Iran,” noting that economic protests can easily take on a political nature. As a result, the recent unrest is dangerous for the Iranian regime because deprivation exists on a broad scale. To curb inflation, the Iranian regime removed the head of the Central Bank as the “culprit” for the current economic situation, and Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran’s regime, made the unusual proposal of calling for dialogue with protesters.

Trump should not be tempted by the mirage of an agreement with Iran

The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal wrote that as the scope of the protests has expanded, the regime’s repressive approach has once again intensified, with reports of a new wave of arrests and even live ammunition being used. If the protests become more widespread, there is a likelihood of increased repression. Referring to the increase in arrests and executions of citizens after the 12-day war, the newspaper added that this level of repression makes the continuation of the recent protests more striking and significant. The article states that all these developments provide an important opportunity for the United States to show its support for the people of Iran. Barack Obama made a mistake in 2009 when, due to his desire to reach a nuclear agreement with the ayatollahs, he remained silent in the face of the repression of protesters. The Wall Street Journal warned Donald Trump against being tempted by the mirage of an agreement with Tehran, writing that if the Islamic Republic truly wanted a deal, it could have returned to the negotiating table after the war. Meanwhile, the Iranian regime continues to insist on enriching uranium on Iranian soil and is rapidly rebuilding its ballistic missile capabilities, which have the ability to target Israel or US bases. According to the article, the most important action the United States can take under current conditions is the “continuation of economic pressure on the regime,” which would require enforcing oil sanctions with a seriousness at least equal to half of the measures recently applied by the United States against Venezuela. The Iranian regime has been able to partially circumvent sanctions, to the extent that its oil exports have reached new records and risen to about two million barrels per day—a figure considered 20 times Washington’s stated target and one that effectively undermines Trump’s maximum pressure campaign. None of these developments necessarily means the immediate collapse of the government, although dictatorships often appear stable until the very end. The ayatollah relies on oil revenues to maintain the loyalty of commanders and to direct the weapons of the forces toward their own people. However, Western policy toward Iran, aimed at reaching a deal at any cost, has made the Iranian regime more reckless than ever in repressing protesters. Ultimately, what will bring about the overthrow of this government will not be a foreign war, but popular force.

What Happened on the Fourth Day of Protests in Iran?

Mehdi Hosseini
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What Happened on the Fourth Day of Protests in Iran?
Nationwide protests by citizens continued into their fourth day on Wednesday, December 31. On this day, people gathered in the cities of Kuhdasht in Lorestan province, Isfahan, Kermanshah, and Fasa in Fars province. In some cities, security forces opened fire on citizens.
In Fasa, citizens held a protest gathering, stormed the city’s governorate building, and lit fires in the street in front of it. Protesters in this city also chanted slogans such as “Death to the dictator” and “Death to Khamenei.” Videos and reports published on social media indicate that repressive forces directly fired at protesting people in Fasa. At least one person was injured in the shooting. On Wednesday afternoon, similar reports were published of regime forces firing at citizens during a protest gathering in the city of Kuhdasht. Protesters in the city of Kermanshah also held a protest gathering on December 31 and chanted slogans such as “Death to the dictator.” In Isfahan, a gathering also took place in Naqsh-e Jahan Square. Reports have also been published of a heavy security atmosphere and the deployment of regime forces and water cannon vehicles in various parts of Tehran, including Valiasr Street.

Call by students of Kurdistan University and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

Reports indicate that there has been a call by a group of students from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad to hold a protest gathering on Wednesday, December 31. In part of their statement they said that they, the students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, are heirs to the ideals of freedom and resistance.
They statement emphasized that the university is not a place for fear, and students will not be mere spectators. Protest is our right, sit-ins are our tool, and resistance is our path. The younger generation does not accept injustice and will not surrender the future at the price of fear. The students from the University of Kurdistan, while supporting the nationwide uprising of the people of Iran, have called for a protest gathering on Wednesday, December 31. While calling themselves as the children of the rugged and brave mountains of Iran, they will take to the street for their rights, freedom, and a just future. And added that they will uproot the foundations of this corrupt system. Silence in the face of oppression and corruption is no longer acceptable. Our voice will echo throughout Iran. Regime security forces tried to arrest the students in Mashhad using Irancell and Hamrah-e Aval vans Following the publication of the call by Ferdowsi University of Mashhad for a gathering, bus services on some routes were suspended.
Iran: People in Fasa Rally in Front of Governor’s Office, Security Forces Open Fire on Protesters
Regime security forces have been deployed with vans disguised as those of mobile operators “Irancell” and “Hamrah-e Aval” around Janbaz Square and Park Roundabout in Mashhad to transport forces and arrest protesters. Reports indicate that the regime’s plainclothes forces are moving around the city in groups of four to five, wearing high-top sneakers—an action that, according to local sources, is intended to prevent identification and remote attacks on security vehicles.

Global reactions to the ongoing protests in Iran continue

The Persian-language account of the U.S. Department of State on X expressed concern about intimidation, violence, and the arrest of peaceful protesters and emphasized that the Islamic Republic must end the repression of the people. Germany’s Bild newspaper, in a report on the protests in Iran, described the retreat of repressive forces in the face of protesters as highly meaningful. The German newspaper wrote that images of protesters pushing back security forces are symbolically very meaningful because they reveal the weaknesses of Iran’s regime for the first time—images that are usually unimaginable in Iran. Der Spiegel magazine also referred to the causes of the protests in Iran, writing that finding a solution to the problems will not be easy and that, in the view of observers, the regime’s options are limited. Chosun Daily, one of South Korea’s oldest and most widely circulated newspapers, also addressed the protests in Iran and strikes by bazaar merchants, writing that protests that began with Iran’s economic crisis have gone beyond urban centers and spread to university environments. India Today, a major Indian media outlet, reported on the echoing of the slogan “The mullahs must go” in cities across Iran.

Iran: People in Fasa Rally in Front of Governor’s Office, Security Forces Open Fire on Protesters

Sia Rajabi
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Iran: People in Fasa Rally in Front of Governor’s Office, Security Forces Open Fire on Protesters
On the fourth day of nationwide protests in Iran, this morning people in Fasa County, in Fars Province, staged a large-scale protest. It is reported that Iranian regime security forces open fire on protesters. It is said that this morning Fasa came under the control of the people; the widespread presence of citizens forced Iranian regime security forces to retreat. Also, according to reports received, people in Mashhad joined the protests at Atlas Market. The Iranian regime is attempting to control the situation by deploying military helicopters. Today’s protests continued in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, and university students also resumed their demonstrations. At Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, students chanted “Death to the dictator.”

Call for a gathering by University of Kurdistan students in support of the nationwide protests

The Amir Kabir Newsletter reported that a group of University of Kurdistan students, while supporting the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people, have called for a gathering on Wednesday, December 31. The call states: «We are the children of the steadfast and brave mountains of Iran’s land; we will take to the میدان for our rights, for our freedom, and for a just future. » Another part of the call states: «We rise up to uproot the foundations of this corrupt system. Silence in the face of oppression and corruption is no longer permissible. Our voice will resonate throughout all of Iran. » Amid the protests and uprising of people in Tehran and other cities, the Iranian regime announced that on Wednesday, December 31, 25 provinces will be closed. Some of these provinces include Tehran, Hamedan, Kermanshah, Yazd, Lorestan, Kurdistan, Kerman, Isfahan, Gilan, Khuzestan, and Hormozgan.

Protests in Iran Spread to More Sectors and Cities on the Third Day

Esmaeil Mohades
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Protests in Iran Spread to More Sectors and Cities on the Third Day
On the third day of protests by bazaar merchants in response to the dire economic situation, shopkeepers in various cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Ahvaz, Shiraz, Kermanshah, and Najafabad, closed their shops and held protest gatherings. Following calls issued by student organizations and activists, students in various cities across the country, including Tehran, Isfahan, and Yazd, joined the wave of protests on Tuesday, December 30.
Bazaar Protests Expand to Various Parts of Tehran and Other Cities in Iran
Students at the University of Tehran, pointing to the security siege around the campus, called on citizens to move toward the University of Tehran so that students could join the public. Protesters at their gatherings chanted slogans including “Death to the dictator,” “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, I sacrifice my life for Iran,” “Death to the principle of Velayat-e Faqih,” and “Death to this high cost of living, we will go until overthrow.” Protesting citizens in Kermanshah and on Jomhouri Street in Tehran stood their ground against repression forces and pushed the suppressors back. Students at Yazd University also chanted “Neither threats nor prison have any effect anymore” on Tuesday evening, December 30. Videos published on social media show that security forces fired tear gas and pellet bullets at protesters in Tehran’s bazaar. Special unit forces have arrested at least eleven protesting citizens in the Shoush area of Tehran. Videos published on social media show that demonstrators gathered in the streets of Kermanshah, including around the traditional bazaar, and expressed their protests against rising prices, currency exchange rate fluctuations, and livelihood problems. The internal security situation of the Iranian regime has reached a critical threshold, as scattered economic grievances are converging with broader political disobedience. According to this report, the current pattern of urban unrest indicates the formation of a link between the bazaar middle class and wider segments of dissatisfied society. The continuation of this situation could lead to the formation of a general uprising.

Iran’s ‘No To Executions Tuesdays’ Campaign Marks Week 101 In 55 Prisons

Sia Rajabi
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Iran’s ‘No To Executions Tuesdays’ Campaign Marks Week 101 In 55 Prisons
The one hundred and first week of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign is continuing with hunger strikes by prisoners in fifty-five prisons across Iran. This number, beyond a simple statistic, has become a symbol of steadfastness, courage, and belief in human dignity. One hundred and one weeks of resistance under harsh and exhausting conditions shows that even in the narrowest prison wards, the flame of hope can be kept alive and the voice of justice-seeking cannot be silenced. The full text of the statement of the one hundred and first week of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign is as follows:
At Least 1,922 Executions in Iran in 2025, Nearly Double Compared to 2024
Continuation of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign in its one hundred and first week in fifty-five different prisons, coinciding with strikes and protests by Tehran’s bazaar merchants The “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign extends its congratulations on Chirstmas and the New Year to all Christians and wishes freedom and liberation for all our compatriots who are subjected to repression and oppression by the ruling religious dictatorship in our country. In the words of Jesus Christ: “And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul.” KJV As we enter the one hundred and first No To Executions Tuesday, Tehran’s bazaar merchants have, since Sunday, December 28, launched strikes and protests against the injustice and oppression of the regime. These protests have taken on broad dimensions and have spread to some other cities as well. In these critical days, the executioner government, in order to prevent the escalation of popular uprisings, has intensified repression and executions. In recent days, it has issued the inhuman death sentences of two Kurdish political prisoners, Mehrab Abdollahzadeh in Urmia Prison and Younes Bakhshi in Mahabad Prison. Since December 22, it has executed more than 96 people, including one imprisoned woman, in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. While expressing gratitude and appreciation to all the families and supporters who backed the one hundredth week of this campaign, the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign calls for greater support for the “No to the Death Penalty” campaign, so that the blade of repression and execution may be blunted more and more, and the groundwork for abolishing the inhuman death sentence may be prepared. Political prisoners who are members of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign are on hunger strike on Tuesday, December 30, during the one hundred and first week, in fifty-five prisons across the country.

Bazaar Protests Expand to Various Parts of Tehran and Other Cities in Iran

Hoshang Amiri
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Bazaar Protests Expand to Various Parts of Tehran and Other Cities in Iran
According to reports published on social media, protest gatherings and strikes by bazaar merchants in Tehran spread to various parts of the capital on their second day. The striking merchants chanted protest slogans during their Monday, December 29, gatherings, including “Death to the dictator,” “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran,” “The bazaar merchant may die but will not accept humiliation,” and “This homeland will not become a homeland until the mullah is shrouded.” Subsequently, chants of “This year is the year of blood, Seyed Ali will be overthrown” were heard among the protesters.
Tehran Bazaar Shopkeepers Stage Protests in Response to Surge in Foreign Currency Prices
Reports indicate that merchants and shopkeepers halted their business activities and held protest gatherings in bazaars and commercial centers, including Chaharsouq, the Gold Bazaar, Alaeddin Mall (a major electronics shopping center in Tehran), Charsou Commercial Complex, Delavaran Furniture Market, Jafari Bazaar, Shoush Market, the Grand Bazaar of Tehran, Amin Hozour Market, and Bagh-e Sepahsalar. At the same time, the scope of these protests extended to streets and main urban thoroughfares. The protests then spread to squares, intersections, and other areas of Tehran. As the protests expanded, reports indicated that security and law enforcement forces were deployed in front of Tehran’s City Theater, a major cultural landmark. At the same time, the state-run Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that the gathering of shopkeepers and bazaar merchants continued from Lalehzar Street to Istanbul Square. In some other Iranian cities, including Karaj, citizens protesting the dire economic situation and fluctuations in the foreign exchange market also held gatherings. Videos and reports published from Karaj and Tehran show that Iranian regime security forces clashed with protesting citizens in many areas. In some areas of Tehran, including Kargar Street and Bagh-e Sepahsalar, forces used tear gas against protesting shopkeepers. Yesterday as well, shopkeepers at the Alaeddin Mobile Mall, the Charsou Commercial Complex, and the Shoush Iron Market protested by closing their shops in response to the rise in the dollar exchange rate and called on other merchants to join the strike.
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