DW:

Omid Barin

Protests triggered by soaring inflation and a collapsing currency have highlighted widespread political discontent. Analysts say the deep economic woes are a major challenge to the regime's authority

A wave of protests is sweeping across Iran, which is mired in a deep economic crisis marked by an unprecedented drop in the value of the rial and surging inflation.

But the demonstrations, which began with a merchants' strike in Tehran on December 28 and have grown as students joined the movement, go beyond the country's economic woes.

Experts say the protests — the most significant challenge to the Islamic regime since the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement of 2022 — are a reflection of widespread and growing political discontent and anger at the government.

'Public trust in the government has eroded'

Videos circulating on social media show Iranian police forces using tear gas and plastic bullets against protesters.

Demonstrators are directing their anger at the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic's foreign policy, with footage online showing people chanting slogans like "Death to the dictator" and "Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran."

Kasra Qaredaghi, a PhD student in political science at the University of Central Florida in the US, said protests often start with economic concerns, which evolve into broader political demands.

"In such a setting, when living costs rise, but incomes and job security don't keep pace, livelihood grievances quickly turn into dissatisfaction," Qaredaghi told DW.

"This economic crisis is unfolding in a context where public trust in the government's ability to control inflation and create stability has eroded," he added.

Iran's government has been accused of widespread corruption, while protesters also allege authorities are prioritizing support for proxies abroad — like Palestinian militants Hamas and Lebanese group Hezbollah — over domestic welfare, as well as suppressing freedoms.

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