Students join economic protests in Iran. The rial has almost halved in value
In Iran, protests against the rising cost of living have spread to universities. The students joined the actions launched earlier by traders and shopkeepers in the bazaars. This is reported by Iranian and international media, DW writes.
According to the semi-official Fars news agency, hundreds of students took part in protests at at least four universities in the capital Tehran on Tuesday. Other media outlets reported protests in several other locations. Demonstrations also took place at the Isfahan University of Technology and educational institutions in Yazd and Zanjan.
The protests were caused by a sharp deterioration in the economic situation. In 2025, the Iranian rial lost almost 50% of its value against the US dollar. In December, inflation in the country reached 42.5%, which was one of the highest rates in recent years. The free-market exchange rate fell to around 1.4 million rials per dollar against 817,000 at the beginning of the year
After large-scale protests in the centre of Tehran, President Masoud Peseshkian declared his readiness for dialogue. He posted on social media that he had instructed the Interior Minister to organise talks with representatives of the protesters to discuss their legitimate demands. According to the president, the government plans to reform the monetary and banking system in order to preserve the purchasing power of the population
Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said the authorities recognise the protests and understand that they are caused by pressure on the living standards of citizens. At the same time, the authorities held a separate rally in the capital with the participation of supporters of the current regime
These are the first large-scale protests since the short-lived conflict with Israel in June, after which the country was dominated by national unity. Iran's economy has been under pressure from US sanctions since 2018, and the renewal of UN sanctions in autumn only worsened the situation. Amid a currency crisis, the central bank governor resigned the day before
