December 28: Demonstrations erupted at two key markets in Tehran’s bustling center, ignited by the rijal currency’s alarming plunge to an unprecedented 1.42 million rijals per US dollar. This sharp decline has deepened the strain on a populace already grappling with soaring inflation, particularly in food prices. To compound these woes, authorities raised fuel prices earlier in the month.
December 29: Central Bank Governor Mohammad Reza Farzin handed in his resignation, but the protests spread alarmingly through several cities. In Tehran, police responded by deploying tear gas against the escalating unrest.
December 30: President Masoud Pezeshkian convened with business leaders, pledging concrete steps towards economic recovery and reconciliation. Nevertheless, the demonstrations continued to proliferate, extending to universities and additional cities.
December 31: Abdolnasser Hemmati was named the new central bank governor as tensions escalated. In Fasa, southern Iran, protests turned violent when demonstrators stormed the governor’s office, resulting in injuries to police officers.
January 1: Authorities confirmed that at least seven individuals lost their lives amid the chaos, with violence intensifying particularly in Azna, southwest of Tehran.
January 2: In a stark statement on social media, US President Donald Trump warned that if Iranian authorities harm peaceful protesters, “the US will save them.” By this point, the demonstrations had spread to an astonishing 100 cities, according to the human rights organization HRANA.
January 3: Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared that “the protesters must be put in their place,” effectively signaling a more aggressive crackdown on dissent.
January 6: The protests had escalated to encompass over 280 cities across 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces. Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) estimated that at least 27 individuals had been killed, with protesters gathering in Tehran’s main bazaar, where they were met with tear gas.
January 8 and 9: Following a call from Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late Shah, crowds took to the streets during the evening hours. In response, authorities cut off internet access and international phone lines nationwide. As of Thursday, IHR had reported at least 45 fatalities, including eight minors, alongside more than 2,000 arrests of protesters by the regime.
January 9: In a speech that echoed through the nation, Ayatollah Khamenei attributed the unrest to the actions of US President Trump, further intensifying the already fraught political atmosphere.