In late 2025, Iran faced its most significant nationwide uprising since the 1979 revolution.
In short: Triggered by a collapsing currency and severe economic distress, millions of Iranians took to the streets in a leaderless movement that rapidly evolved from demands for financial stability to calls for the end of the Islamic Republic. The ensuing state crackdown resulted in thousands of deaths and widespread international alarm.
The unrest began on 28 December 2025, initially driven by shopkeepers and merchants in Tehran who were struggling with record-high inflation and a rapidly devaluing rial. By December, the currency had plummeted to approximately 145,000 tomans per US dollar, while annual inflation reached 42 percent. Food and medical costs surged, and international sanctions, combined with government mismanagement, left the economy in a state of free fall. What started as localized strikes by trade guilds quickly expanded into a nationwide movement involving students and citizens across all 31 provinces.
As the protests grew, they shed their initial focus on economic relief, adopting overtly political slogans such as 'Death to the Dictator.' By 9 January 2026, an estimated 5 million people were demonstrating across the country. The government responded with a total internet blackout and a violent crackdown, ordering security forces to use live ammunition against protesters. Reports from organizations like the Human Rights Activists News Agency and various media outlets suggest that thousands were killed during the peak of the unrest in January, with some estimates reaching as high as 30,000 deaths.
The movement was characterized by its decentralized nature, though it gained momentum following calls for unity from Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah. Despite the appointment of a new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, in March 2026, and the death of his predecessor Ali Khamenei, the protests persisted through nightly rooftop chants and acts of civil disobedience. The 2025–2026 events marked a profound shift in Iranian public sentiment, reflecting deep-seated frustration with political corruption, foreign policy priorities, and the failure of the government to address the basic needs of its population.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2025–2026 Iranian protests
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