Name: Demonstrations spread in Iran over inflation crisis
Uploaded: 2025-12-31T13:43:51.000Z
Duration: 8 min 32 s
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Iran's government is reaching out to protesters to resolve a wave of unrest over a currency collapse.

Basic passive voice

Demonstrations gripping Tehran and other cities were set off by a plunge in the Iranian rial and soaring prices.

Participle clauses

In a post on X, Iran's president offered dialogue with protest leaders, calling their concerns legitimate and saying the livelihood of the Iranian people is a daily concern.

Senate Bashir is following this from London for us.

I mean, the inflation rates according to statistics coming out of Iran.

It said it's sitting at 42% for the month of December.

Give me a sense of what reforms the Iranian government could implement to try and ease some of this crisis that's playing out.

Well, we haven't seen any concrete commitments being offered by the government just yet, just that offer of dialogue with protesters.

And we are continuing to see protesters taking to the streets in Tehran.

We've seen that video on social media being shared of protesters around Tehran's markets and bazaars.

A standoff with police in central parts of downtown Tehran.

We're also seeing university students today taking part in marches around the University of Tehran.

So we are clearly seeing some momentum building in these protests taking place across the country.

And as you mentioned, this is all surrounding this economic crisis that we are seeing in the country with inflation rising.

And this is a real daily struggle for many in the country.

We're seeing a sharp increase in the prices of food, of essential medical supplies, of gas prices.

So people are really feeling this at home on a daily basis.

And this has clearly sparked a lot of anger and uproar in the country now, particularly as there has been some indication of potential tax rises in the new year as well.

So clearly a lot of dissatisfaction with how the government is handling this economic crisis.

And of course, when it comes to the situation with regards to foreign relations, there is concern around comments being made by the US President Donald Trump around potentially taking further action if Iran seeks to rebuild its nuclear capabilities.

And of course, those tensions remain high following that 12 day war that we saw just a few months ago.

So clearly there is a significant, huge feeling of unease amongst the Iranian population at this stage.

What we have seen in terms of tangible action is, according to state media, the resignation of the head of the Central bank, Mohamed Reza Farzin.

Rumors had been circular circulating around his possible resignation in response to this economic crisis, but

We are hearing calls still for shops, markets in the bazaar to be closed.

I spoke to one Iranian contact yesterday who said in his words, when the bazaars close, governments tremble.

And of course important to remember that the shopkeepers, merchants played a key role in the Iranian revolution.

So there is certainly a lot of history there with regards to the potential power behind these protests if indeed they do continue to escalate and spread.

All this protest erupting in the western city of Hamadan.

Iranians voicing their anger as Iran's currency hits an all time low and inflation soars and intake run.

Shopkeepers hit the currency, hit by the currency are playing a major role in the demonstrations.

Take a look at those which are the largest since Mahsa Amini died in police custody in 2022.

Now elsewhere in the Capitol footage is showing us a standoff with police, the tension and smoke hanging thick in the air.

For perspective now, I want to bring in Baslani.

He is a senior research fellow at the center for Middle East Strategic Studies based in Tehran.

I want you to give me a sense of firstly what you're seeing on the ground in terms of these protests and importantly the inflationary impacts on on average Iranians.

In order to understand the current pulse on the streets in Tehran, we need to appreciate the nuances of this situation.

This started and originated from the Grand Bazaar in Tehran, which is the heartbeat economy of the capital city.

And so it's happen as a result of the fluctuations in the currency as well as gold markets which resulted in the increase, increasing prices of the other commodities.

And they say that when the market sneezes, the rest of the economy catches cold.

Or this could create, let's say, economic hardship for the other parts of the country.

But it is important to remember that these protests should not, let's say, make us to make a mistake that a localized protest for a widespread, let's say, uprising in the country.

In terms of the size and the scale of the protest, it seems to be remaining relatively small.

Geographically, it has been tethered to the market districts in the capital city.

And there are factors which are impacting the situation, which is the security factor.

As a result of the June attacks against the country, it seems that the average citizens, they are wary of burning the whole house down to kill a termite.

And that's why they have not been, let's say, joining these masses in great numbers.

And so this is somehow Eleni, a friction rather than a fracture.

Yeah, I mean it's interesting you say that because look, inflation is up 42%.

These are statistics and data out of Iran.

So this is really, I mean, we're seeing a big impact on the way that people are living.

And it's interesting you mentioned that a lot of the process coming through from the Grand Bazaar and if we go back to 1979, we actually saw protests back then.

And you can give me a bit of information on this.

It fueled the revolution with people getting back on the streets right now, I think a lot of people are asking the question, if we're going to see something similar playing out, that this could be the start of perhaps a push for regime change.

ELENI first, this is not the whole bazaar which is protesting.

And second, which is important, is that the average citizens and ordinary public is not joining this, let's say, protest.

And because there is no bright and clear picture of the day after and there is no, let's say, credible alternative to this political system, as well as those who have been preaching a revolution from abroad do not hold that much of currency or credit on the streets of Tehran.

So that's why, you know, the security factor and the aggression, you know, initiated by Israel, they joined and backed by the United States, they serve as a, let's say, kind of brutal clarity.

When Iranians look at what happened in the region, like in Syria, they tend to think that by those, let's say, aggressions or what the Israel and the United States are seeking, it is not to overthrow the political system, but

to dismantle the territorial integrity of the nation.

So that's why the worry and about, you know, joining to the protests.

And they, they somehow want to avoid the unintended consequences of such kind of masses in the on the streets.

So that's why we can say that we are not seeing an existential threat to the political system.

And we have been seeing reaction from the government in order to manage the situation.

The government has said that they want to engage with speaking to the organizers of the protests.

Abbas Aslani, thank you so much for that insight.