Iranian Protests Erupt Over Currency Collapse and Government Response

Thu Jan 01 2026 09:37:26 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Demonstrations in Iran escalate as protesters attempt to break into a government building amid growing unrest triggered by a severe currency crisis. Authorities respond with security measures and warnings.

In Iran's southern province of Fars, protests have intensified over a plummeting currency, leading demonstrators to attempt a break-in at a government office in Fasa. The unrest, now spanning multiple cities, has resulted in injuries among police and several arrests. As the government imposes a bank holiday to curb protests, calls grow for accountability against the ruling clerics.

Protesters in Iran have tried to break into a local government building in the southern province of Fars, on a fourth day of demonstrations sparked by a currency collapse.

Officials said three police officers were injured and four people arrested in the city of Fasa. Confrontations have also been reported in the western provinces of Hamedan and Lorestan.

The authorities in the capital, Tehran, declared Wednesday a bank holiday in an apparent effort to quell the unrest.

In video that emerged on social media and was verified by the BBC, a crowd was filmed breaking the gate of the governor's office in Fasa, leading to security forces responding with gunfire and deploying tear gas against rioters.

Nationwide, schools, universities, and public institutions were closed due to the surprise public holiday announced by the Iranian government, which many saw as an attempt to control the protests.

The demonstrations began in Tehran on Sunday, ignited by shopkeepers’ anger over another steep decline in the value of the Iranian currency against the US dollar. By Tuesday, university students had joined, expanding the movement to several cities with chants against clerical rule.

Despite the protests being among the most widespread since the 2022 uprising following the death of Mahsa Amini, they are not yet at the same scale as previous unrest. To prevent escalation, stringent security was reported in areas of Tehran where protests began.

President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the situation, saying the government would respond to the “legitimate demands” of protesters, while Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad cautioned that any attempts to create instability would incur a "decisive response."