On Dec. 30, the third day of protests by Tehran bazaar merchants in response to the dire economic situation in Iran, the strike started to spread across the country. Shopkeepers in Isfahan, Ahvaz, Shiraz, Kermanshah and Najafabad closed their stalls and held protest gatherings, where they were joined by students who walked off university campuses. Security forces responded with multiple arrests and the use of live fire and tear-gas in several locations. One student is reported to have been severely injured in Tehran. Protest slogans escalated beyond economic grievances, openly targeting clerical rule and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Iran Focus, Iran International)
A photo of a lone protester blocking a column of police motorcycles on a Tehran freeway has gone viral, drawing comparisons to the iconic “tank man” photo from Tiananmen Square in June 1989.
In a possible bid to deflect popular anger onto external enemies, President Masoud Pezeshkian stated Dec. 27 that Iran is engaged in a “full-fledged war” with the US, Israel and Europe, describing the pressures on Iran as “far more complex and difficult” than the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. The remark appeared in an interview published on the official website of the Supreme Leader. (Jurist)
Since the 2022 protests in Iran, there have been worldwide protests fueled by spikes in the price of food and fuel.
Photo via Twitter
