"Protests over spiraling inflation and the plummeting value of the local currency, the rial, began with shopkeepers in Tehran closing their doors on December 28. The uprising has continued each day, spreading to several universities in the capital, as well as to other areas around the country. Iranian security forces have responded at times with volleys of tear gas and batons, though President Masud Pezeshkian has promised that the government would make "new decisions" that he said would improve the economic situation of Iranians."
"The recent protests reveal one clear reality: many Iranians have decided that the current establishment must end -- at any cost and as soon as possible -- before the country they love is further destroyed. Iran is facing severe shortages of clean air, water, and energy, while people struggle to survive. As even the president has acknowledged, the country sits on immense wealth, yet its people are hungry."
Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to protest rising cost of living, spiraling inflation, and the collapsing rial. The protests began on December 28 when Tehran shopkeepers closed their doors and quickly spread to universities and other cities. Security forces have used tear gas and batons in some confrontations while officials, including the president, have promised policy changes. Protesters cite severe shortages of clean air, water, and energy and widespread poverty despite national wealth. Responsibility for the crisis is attributed to the entire establishment, from core power centers to lower officials.
Read at RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
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