Several people have already been killed Protests in Iran escalate - what's behind them

War worries, climate crisis and an economy on the brink: discontent is once again triggering protests in Iran. What is behind this and how realistic is a political upheaval?

DPA

01.01.2026, 21:47

03.01.2026, 22:21

dpa

In the midst of a severe economic crisis, crowds of people have taken to the streets of Iran for five days in a row. According to Iranian media, six people had been killed in clashes between demonstrators and security forces in the west of the country by Thursday. The protests began on Sunday but were initially peaceful.

According to the Fars news agency, two people were killed in the clashes on Thursday in the city of Lordegan in the south-western province of Shahar Mahall-Bakhtiari and three more in the city of Asna in the neighboring province of Lorestan. State television had previously reported that a member of the security forces had been killed during night-time protests in the city of Kuhdasht in Lorestan.

In Lordegan, protesters hurled stones at the provincial governor's office, the town hall, a mosque and banks, Fars reported. The buildings were severely damaged and the police responded with tear gas. The police arrested several people in the city who were described as "ringleaders".

According to Fars, a police station in Asna was attacked by rioters. In Kuhdasht, according to Deputy Governor Said Purali, a 21-year-old member of the Basij militia was "killed by rioters while defending public order", as reported by state television. According to the deputy governor, 13 police officers and Basij members were also "injured by stones thrown" during the demonstrations in Kuhdasht. The paramilitary Basij militia is closely linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

The protests are reminiscent of the beginning of the nationwide uprisings of 2019 and 2022 - but much is still unclear. According to eyewitnesses, a large contingent of security forces is being deployed in major cities, while there are reports from rural regions of a crackdown on the protests. The most important questions and answers on current developments:

Why are there new protests now?

The current protests were triggered by a sudden collapse in exchange rates last Sunday. Spontaneously, it was mainly traders from electronics stores in the capital Tehran who took to the streets. In view of the sharp exchange rate fluctuations, they were no longer able to quote reliable prices for their imported goods and were unaware of the losses they could incur on products they had already sold.

The protests have now spread to other parts of the country and other sections of the population. Student associations, which had already supported earlier waves of protest, called for demonstrations once again. Dissatisfaction in the country has been growing for years, fueled by a lack of prospects, economic hardship, the climate crisis, political repression and international isolation.

What is the economic situation in Iran?

The economic situation in Iran remains precarious. Despite extensive oil reserves, the country of almost 90 million people is in a serious crisis - with no apparent prospect of improvement. Severe international sanctions have increasingly driven Tehran into the arms of Russia and China. Around 90 percent of oil exports flow to the People's Republic via detours.

Last month alone, the national currency, the rial, lost almost 20 percent of its value. According to official figures, inflation is between 30 and 40 percent. The young generation in particular fears social decline. At the same time, criticism of the leadership's foreign policy is growing: in the conflict with Israel, a significant proportion of the budget is being spent on military expenditure.

What are the demonstrators demanding?

In addition to an improvement in their living conditions, the demonstrators are demanding a far-reaching political change towards a secular system and the end of Islamic rule. Their goal: a modern Iran - free of religious rules and state repression, at peace with the world, including its long-time arch-enemy Israel.

The women's protests in the fall of 2022 were violently suppressed. Since then, however, many women in major cities have demonstratively defied state dress codes - a visible sign of cultural and social change. Almost five decades after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, many Iranians have turned their backs on religious dogma.

What might happen now?

It remains uncertain whether the current protests will once again escalate into a nationwide uprising like in the fall of 2022. In recent decades, Iran has been repeatedly shaken by massive waves of protest - the leadership has reacted with repression each time. Following the demonstrations under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom", the judiciary executed several men and arrested thousands of people.

During the most recent protests, security forces in the provinces opened fire on demonstrators, as reported by human rights activists. Several people have already died in confrontations between protesters and the police or security forces. There were fatalities in the provinces of Lorestan, Isfahan, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari, among others. The information could not initially be independently verified.

Past protests have always been a stress test for the authoritarian system, which has been struggling to retain power for years. Following the twelve-day war in June and the ongoing conflict with Israel, the leadership is once again under pressure. The Revolutionary Guards, Iran's elite military force and economic power factor with stakes in hotels, airlines and arms companies, have a dual interest in the status quo: political and economic.

Against this backdrop, the government surprised everyone with conciliatory signals. President Massud Peseschkian admitted that his government had made mistakes. With unusual candor, he declared that the state and banks were to blame for the high inflation. They had emptied the "pockets of the disadvantaged people" and weakened their purchasing power. The president announced reforms and dismissed the controversial head of the central bank. He was replaced by a confidant of Peseshkian, Abdolnasser Hemmati, who had previously held the post. It is unclear whether his measures will be heard.

What role does the opposition play?

For years, there has been no political force in Iran that is recognized by the demonstrators as a credible opposition. Even the so-called reformers, including President Peseshkian, are considered by protesters to be part of the Islamic system of rule and unable to bring about fundamental political change.

Many are therefore pinning their hopes on support from abroad. During the current protests, the slogan "Long live the king" was also heard - a reference to Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah who was overthrown in 1979. However, the exile opposition also remains fragmented and divided.