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Tehran: The new year in Iran was greeted with protests. While protests ( Protests ) against the government by young people have been going on in Iran for the past four days, today, on the first day of the year, millions of people took to the streets in Tehran and other Iranian cities. Besides Tehran, thousands of people also took to the streets in Isfahan, Yazd, Kohdasht, Zanjan, and Fasa to protest against the Iranian government. People in Iran are protesting against continuously rising inflation, unemployment, and the dire state of the economy. It is being claimed that protesters and government security forces exchanged fire, and reports of several deaths have emerged.
Clashes also occurred between protesters and police in several areas. In the city of Kohdasht, a mob attacked police officers, killing one officer and injuring more than 10 others. These protests have increased the risk of a coup in Iran.
Why are there protests in Iran?
The US and Western countries have imposed various sanctions against Iran, and their impact is now visible on the Iranian economy. People are unable to find jobs, sources of income are drying up, inflation is rising, and the situation is so bad that people don’t even have money to buy food. That’s why the Iranian people are now on the streets.
In fact, the US and European countries have imposed sanctions on Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Barack Obama lifted some economic sanctions on Iran after the nuclear deal. However, Donald Trump reimposed sanctions in 2018, and these sanctions have severely damaged Iran’s financial situation. In June of this year, a 12-day war broke out between Iran and Israel. On the last day, the US also bombed Iranian nuclear facilities. Following this, Iran suspended cooperation with international organizations in the nuclear sector.
Subsequently, the US and European countries imposed new sanctions on Iran, causing the value of the Iranian currency, the rial, to plummet. The US dollar, which was worth approximately 800,000 rials a year ago, is now worth nearly 1.5 million rials.
Unrest has gripped Iran for four days.
The protests began four days ago in the capital, Tehran. Initially, Tehran’s business community staged a protest march against the deteriorating economic conditions. Students from Tehran University then joined the merchants’ protests, and the unrest spread to other cities. Now, protesters are on the streets throughout Iran.
Similarly, in Fasa, a city in the southern province of Fars, angry crowds attacked the governor’s office, causing significant damage. Security forces had to open fire to prevent the crowd from entering the building, and several people are feared dead. This further fueled public anger. However, the Iranian government claims that the police fired in self-defense.
Inflation is soaring, and there is a water shortage.
The inflation rate in Iran is currently 50 percent. In addition, there is a severe water shortage in Tehran and other cities; dams are drying up, which has also negatively impacted electricity supply. Now, facing public anger, the Iranian government is on the defensive. Today, the Iranian government stated that it is concerned about the people, is listening to the protesters, and is trying to resolve the public’s issues as quickly as possible.
The Iranian president leveled a major accusation against the US.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian admitted that improving the country’s economic situation is beyond his control; he cannot perform miracles. The president said that the Iranian people are aware of the ground realities. However, some forces are colluding with Iran’s enemy countries, and these protests are part of that conspiracy. The Iranian president said that what is happening is being orchestrated by the United States. Countries like the US are constantly trying to weaken Iran. But Iran is not a country that will bow down to anyone. The Iranian president said that Iran is currently fighting a full-scale war, therefore, the people of the country need to remain united.
