Protests sparked by Iran's economic crisis are spreading beyond downtown streets to university districts. Under Western sanctions, the Iranian rial recently hit a record low, and the public has suffered from severe inflation.
On the 30th (local time), the New York Times (NYT) reported that student protests were continuing in several cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, and Yazd. According to local outlet ILNA, protests were held that day at eight schools, including the University of Tehran and Khajeh Nasir al-Din al-Tusi University of Technology.
Students participating in the protests chanted "freedom," as well as slogans such as "Do not be afraid. We are all together" and "Death to the dictator." Near the national University of Tehran, footage showed clashes between the military and protesters.
The student protests are seen as an extension of earlier merchant-led demonstrations. On the 29th, the previous day, merchants and residents, protesting economic hardship caused by the rial's plunge, shut their shops and took to the streets on Saadi Street in central Tehran and at the Grand Bazaar. According to AP, these protests are the largest since the so-called "hijab protests" that erupted in 2022 after a woman who did not properly wear a hijab died following detention.
The protests erupted as the long-standing sanctions by the West deepened the economic crisis and the rial fell to a record low against the dollar. On the day of the protests, the Iranian rial traded at 1.38 million rials per dollar, about three times the level in 2022 (430,000 rials per dollar) when Mohammad Reza Farzin took office as Iran's Central Bank governor. Farzin ultimately resigned the same day over the matter.
The currency's decline is feeding into price increases. According to Iran's Statistical Center, the consumer price index this month rose 42.2% from a year earlier, while food and medical supplies rose 72% and 50%, respectively. On top of that, infrastructure problems, including water shutoffs caused by drought and power outages due to energy shortages, are seen as having triggered public anger.
Still, there are assessments that authorities are trying to soothe public sentiment and showing a relatively conciliatory attitude. Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian said on X (formerly Twitter) on the day of the protests that "the government is planning measures to maintain people's purchasing power" and that the President "asked the Interior Minister to talk with representatives of the protesters and listen to their legitimate demands."
Spokesperson Fahmideh Mohajerani also said at a press briefing that "the government plans to create a forum for dialogue that includes the organizers of the protests," adding, "We see, hear, and recognize how much citizens are suffering from livelihood issues." This contrasts with the hard-line crackdowns and mass arrests in similar past situations.
Iran's hard-line conservative camp and some state-run media are heightening vigilance by pointing to external forces as the instigators behind the protests. Iran's state-run Tasnim News Agency said that "Zionist media and figures are distorting the people's demands and inciting chaos and riots."
There is also criticism that the government is implicitly prioritizing suppression over persuading the protesters. The Iranian government said it would close universities, public institutions, and commercial facilities for one day in 18 of the country's 31 provinces, citing energy savings and cold-weather safety measures, but analysts said the real intention appeared to be to block the spread of protests.
Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, head of the Iran-focused think tank Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, said, "Many in Iran's leadership have not listened to the demands of the majority of the people," adding, "As a result, they seem to be belatedly and sporadically recognizing that the legitimacy and authority of the regime have been damaged."