Iran's government has called for dialogue with protest leaders following the country's biggest protests in three years as the currency devalued and living conditions deteriorated.
Protests in the Islamic Republic began on Sunday after the Iranian currency fell to a record low against the US dollar, forcing traders and shopkeepers to close their shops in central Tehran, The Guardian writes. This was accompanied by mass protests in the capital as well as in major cities including Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad.
Protesters chanted anti-government slogans, and videos on social media showed demonstrators chanting “Don't be afraid, we are together” and “Azadi” (which means “freedom” in Farsi). Footage also shows Iranian police in riot gear using tear gas against protesters, The Guardian noted.
The Guardian recalls that this was the largest protest since a wave of protests swept across the country after Mahsa Amini, 22, died in police custody after being arrested for wearing a headscarf incorrectly. At that time, Iranian police used force, cut off the Internet and brutally suppressed protests with tear gas and guns.
On Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the government to listen to the “legitimate demands” of protesters. A government spokesman said a dialogue mechanism would be created to negotiate with the leaders of the protest movement.
“Ensuring people's livelihoods is my daily concern,” President Pezeshkian wrote in a post on the social media platform. He added that the government “has actions on its agenda to reform the monetary and banking systems, while maintaining the purchasing power of the people.”
Analysts say the Iranian government has scaled back its domestic repression following the 12-day war with Israel in the summer as it sought to win support, The Guardian commented. For example, the “morality police” sometimes relax their strict enforcement of social norms in Tehran.
Iranian media reported that the government's recent economic liberalization policies have led to a devaluation of the national currency. On Monday, state television reported that central bank governor Mohammad Reza Farzin resigned, a day after Iran's rial currency fell to 1.42 million to the dollar. When Farzin took office in 2022, the exchange rate was about 430 thousand rials per dollar.
Falling purchasing power is exacerbating Iran's already difficult economic situation, making food and other daily needs increasingly difficult, The Guardian notes.
According to the Iranian government's statistics center, food prices increased 72% and medical supplies increased 50% over the same period last year. At the same time, the government said it would increase taxes due to the Iranian New Year, which begins on March 21.
As the Iranian government faces protests at home, it also faces new threats of attack from abroad. Donald Trump warned on Monday that the US could launch new military strikes against Iran if it tries to revive its nuclear program.
In June, the United States carried out major attacks to destroy bunkers at key uranium enrichment facilities in Iran. At a meeting Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said nuclear activity could continue beyond the sites attacked in June.
“What I'm hearing now is that Iran is trying to come back strong. And if that's the case, we're going to have to take them down. We're going to take them down. We're going to defeat them. But hopefully that doesn't happen,” Trump said.
Iran says it is no longer enriching uranium anywhere and that its nuclear program is purely peaceful.
In an article for The Guardian, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran wants dialogue with the US. “Despite Israel's diplomatic offensive amid the Iran-US nuclear negotiations, Iran remains ready to reach an agreement based on mutual respect and common interests,” Araghchi wrote.
