Iran Protests Intensify as Rial Hits Record Low and Death Toll Rises

By Blessing Nweke

Protesters in Iran defied authorities Tuesday, taking to the streets in Tehran and smaller cities to chant anti-government slogans as a violent crackdown continued amid a deepening economic crisis. A human rights group said at least 36 people have been killed since demonstrations began 10 days ago.

The protests initially erupted over economic grievances after Iran’s currency, the rial, plunged sharply. On Tuesday, the rial fell to a record low of 1.46 million to the U.S. dollar, fueling public anger as prices soared and purchasing power collapsed. Demonstrations quickly took on a political tone, with crowds openly chanting against the ruling clerical establishment.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that 34 protesters and two members of the security forces have been killed, with more than 2,000 people arrested nationwide. Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll.

Videos posted on social media and verified by YourNews showed security forces firing tear gas at Tehran’s main bazaar, a symbolic center of commerce and political activism. Gunshots could be heard as protesters fled through narrow alleyways, while some shouted slogans directly targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Unrest at the bazaar is particularly sensitive for the government, as merchant strikes and protests there played a key role in the 1979 revolution that toppled Iran’s monarchy.

President Masoud Pezeshkian, considered a relative moderate, has called for protesters’ demands to be heard and ordered the interior minister to seek dialogue. However, the movement remains leaderless, and continued arrests and killings have failed to deter demonstrators.

“The system has responded with a mix of conciliatory rhetoric and brute force,” said Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group. “Neither has worked.”

Tensions have also been heightened by warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump about possible intervention, threats Iranian officials say justify a harsher response. Analysts warn that as long as the currency continues to slide and repression persists, Iran’s unrest is unlikely to subside.