Tehran has risen in protests against Ayatollah Khameini's rule. In a new wave of protests and strife between citizens and the armed forces, at least seven Iranians have been killed. On Tuesday, students from no less than ten universities joined the protests, which started in the capital of Tehran on Sunday, Hindustan Times reported.
What triggered the protests?
The people rose in protest against the Ayatollah's government after shopkeepers started demonstrations on Sunday. The protests were triggered by economic concerns, and the Iranian government's handling of a sharp decline in currency value and rising prices.
The protestors included business and shop owners, along with students at various Iranian universities. The demonstrators have been on the streets for days now and have shut down the main bazaar markets. To tackle the wave, the government announced a holiday on Wednesday, citing cold weather. The declaration of the holiday shut down much of the country.
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Iran's economic distress
The oil-rich nation's economy has been under stress for years. The pressure has formed because of continuous sanctions from the United States and its allies due to Iran's nuclear programme. Iran's coffers faced another blow in June last year after Israel launched a military offensive, which resulted in a 12-day-long confrontation between the two regional superpowers.
While the protests were sparked by economic hardships, many demonstrators have also been shouting slogans against Iran's religious ruling system, Hindustan Times reported.
Earlier this week, a video went viral on social media showing a man sitting in the middle of a street in Tehran, calmly facing motorcycle police. Some people compared the scene to a 'Tiananmen moment', recalling the iconic image of a lone protester standing in front of tanks during the 1989 protests in Beijing against Deng Xiaoping's communist government.
The protests following the custodial death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 were much larger than the present protests. Amini was allegedly killed by Iran's 'moral police' for allegedly breaching the nation's strict dress code for women. Several hundred people were killed in the protests following Amini's death. Many security personnel had also died in the protests.
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President Pezeshkian offers dialogue
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has tried to show that his government is willing to engage with protesters. He said on state television, "From an Islamic perspective... if we do not resolve the issue of people's livelihoods, we will end up in Hell.'
Pezeshkian said his options are limited as the rial has weakened sharply, with one dollar worth about 1.4 million rials. Iran's prosecutor general said economic protests are valid but warned that any attempt to create unrest would face a strong response.
