The protests in Iran started from Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on December 28, 2025, after the rial plunged to a record low against the US dollar. Shopkeepers shuttered their businesses to rally against rising prices in Iran.
The plummeting currency has triggered steep inflation, with food prices 72 percent higher than last year on average.
Context: How US sanctions crippled lives of Iranians Trump says he wants to ‘help’