From currency crash to street bloodshed: What sparked Iran’s deadliest protests in three years

What began as anger over a plunging currency and soaring prices has evolved into a broader expression of frustration with Iran’s clerical leadership, marking one of the most serious domestic challenges the country has faced since the 2022 Mahsa Amini uprising.

Authorities have confirmed fatalities among both protesters and security personnel, while rights groups report an even higher death toll.

The unrest has spread beyond Tehran into western and southern provinces, underscoring the depth of economic distress gripping the country.

What triggered the protests?

The protests began on Sunday after Iran’s currency, the rial, suffered another sharp fall against the US dollar, intensifying a cost-of-living crisis that has pushed inflation above 40 percent.

In 2025 alone, the rial has lost roughly half its value, eroding savings and crippling purchasing power.

Shopkeepers and traders were the first to take to the streets, shutting down major bazaars in protest of rising prices and government mismanagement.

Within days, university students and ordinary citizens joined demonstrations, chanting slogans that increasingly moved beyond economic grievances to target Iran’s theocratic system itself.

Years of US and Western sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme, combined with regional tensions and recent military confrontations, have worsened the economic squeeze, creating what many analysts describe as a breaking point for public patience.

Violence spreads beyond Tehran

While protests initially erupted in the capital, they soon spread to provinces including Lorestan, Fars, Hamedan, Isfahan, Khuzestan and Kermanshah.

The most deadly incidents were reported in western cities largely inhabited by Iran’s Lur ethnic group.

In the city of Kouhdasht, authorities confirmed the death of Amirhossam Khodayari Fard, a 21-year-old member of the Basij paramilitary force affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

State media said he was killed during clashes with demonstrators, while rights group Hengaw claimed he was protesting and was shot by security forces.

In Lordegan, videos verified by international media showed protesters gathering as gunfire rang out.

Semi-official Iranian outlets reported two deaths there, while rights groups alleged that security forces opened fire on demonstrators, killing and wounding several people.

Another protester was reportedly shot dead in Isfahan province.

Security forces and protesters both suffer losses

Iranian authorities say multiple police officers and Basij members have been injured by stone-throwing and confrontations.

At the same time, rights organisations accuse security forces of using live ammunition and excessive force to suppress unrest.

Footage circulating on social media shows security personnel firing at crowds and deploying tear gas as protesters attempted to breach government buildings.

Iranian state media has blamed “rioters” and “armed elements” for the violence, while activists insist the protests are overwhelmingly driven by economic desperation.

A critical moment for Iran’s leadership

The unrest comes at a particularly fragile moment for Iran’s rulers.

The country is still reeling from a 12-day air war with Israel in June, during which the United States bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.

Those events further strained government finances and heightened public anger.

President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist who took office promising engagement and economic relief, has acknowledged the limits of his options as the rial continues to slide, with one US dollar now costing around 1.4 million rials on the open market.

While Pezeshkian has said his government will listen to the “legitimate demands” of protesters, Iran’s prosecutor general has warned that any attempt to destabilise the country will face a “decisive response”.

Government response: Dialogue and crackdown

Tehran has paired security measures with gestures of outreach.

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani announced plans for direct dialogue with trade unions and merchants, though details remain vague.

At the same time, authorities declared a nationwide public holiday, officially citing cold weather.

Critics widely viewed the move as an attempt to empty streets and contain demonstrations.

Schools, universities and public institutions were closed, and security presence was heightened in protest hotspots.

Arrests have been reported across multiple provinces, with state media claiming to have detained individuals allegedly linked to opposition or foreign-based groups.

Echoes of 2022, but a different spark

The current protests are the largest since the nationwide uprising sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody in 2022.

While not yet as widespread or intense, this wave is notable for its strong economic roots, rather than a single triggering incident tied to social freedoms.

Chants against Iran’s theocratic system suggest that economic despair is once again morphing into political dissent, raising concerns among authorities about a broader challenge to state control.

As inflation bites deeper and the currency continues to fall, Iran’s deadly protests reflect not just a reaction to immediate hardship, but a warning signal of mounting public anger in a nation under sustained economic and political pressure.