02.01.2026 14:57
As protests triggered by the devaluation of the national currency in Iran enter their fifth day, at least 7 people have died in clashes between security forces and demonstrators. Security forces have detained 29 individuals, including women and children. Here are all the details regarding the protests, which have recently gained attention due to Trump's statement, "We are ready to act if Iran kills peaceful protesters."
The protests triggered by the depreciation of Iran's national currency have entered their fifth day. According to the semi-official Fars News Agency based in Iran, two people lost their lives in clashes that erupted in the city of Lordegan in southwestern Iran. The agency also reported that three people were killed in the city of Azna in western Iran and one in the city of Kouhdasht. The Norway-based human rights organization Hengaw announced that a young man named Khodadad Shirvani was killed by security forces in the city of Marvdasht.
Hengaw also stated that the deceased in Lordegan were protesters named Ahmed Celil and Seccad Velamaneş. The human rights organization noted that during the protests, security forces detained 29 people, including women and children, in various cities.
PROTESTERS TARGET RELIGIOUS GOVERNMENT
According to state media, 13 police officers and members of the Basij (militia-police) were injured as a result of stone-throwing attacks. Footage shared on social media shows vehicles being set on fire during clashes between protesters and security forces, with demonstrators chanting slogans targeting the country's religious government.
Nationwide, schools, universities, and public institutions have been closed due to 'cold weather.'
TRUMP: WE ARE READY TO ACT
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on his social media account, "If Iran continues to shoot and kill peaceful protesters as it always does, the U.S. will come to their aid. We are ready to act."
"U.S. INTERVENTION WILL DESTABILIZE THE ENTIRE REGION"
Trump's words were met with a swift response from Iran. Ali Larijani, the senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, emphasized the nature of the protests and stated: "We know that the position of the protesting entrepreneurs is separate from provocative elements, and Trump should understand that American intervention in this internal matter is equivalent to destabilizing the entire region and undermining U.S. interests."
HOW DID THE PROTESTS START?
The protests were triggered by the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial in the free market. In July, the dollar exchange rate was below one million Iranian rials, but it has been rising steadily in recent months. On Sunday, December 28, the rate exceeded 1 million 440 thousand rials, while the official annual inflation rate announced the previous week surpassed 52%.
The actions first began on the afternoon of December 28 in the Alaeddin Passage in Tehran, which is known for its electronic stores. Business owners closed their shops due to rising costs and economic contraction. The next day, the protests spread to other commercial centers in the city, especially the Grand Bazaar in Tehran. On the third day, which began yesterday, many shopkeepers in the bazaar closed their shutters.
PROTESTS AT MANY UNIVERSITIES
On Tuesday, the protests spread to cities such as Isfahan, Karaj, Kermanshah, Mashhad, and Shiraz, while many universities in the capital Tehran, including Iran University of Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti University, and Tehran University, also held protest demonstrations.
WHAT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE?
In addition to the harsh intervention of security forces and Basij groups against the protesters, measures were increased in city centers to prevent the escalation of the protests. Iran's reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian stated yesterday that his government would listen to the "legitimate demands" of the protesters and called for national unity in the face of the economic pressures imposed by Iran's 'enemies.'
Meanwhile, on Monday, the Central Bank Governor submitted his resignation, and former Central Bank President Abdolnasser Hemmati was appointed in his place. However, the stance of the decision-making political elite, including Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, regarding the protests has not yet been clarified.
Iran's Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad stated that the recent protests organized due to economic difficulties were legitimate, but then added, "Any attempt to turn economic protests into a means of creating insecurity, damaging public property, or implementing externally orchestrated scenarios will inevitably face a legal, proportional, and decisive response."