Teachers protest in Iran, May 1, 2022


UPDATE, JULY 17:

Months of nationwide protests are continuing in Iran amid serious economic issues and stalled nuclear talks.

Demonstrations were reported on Saturday from Sari and Qazvin in the north to Ramhormoz and Dezful in the south to Birjand in the east to Hamedan in the center of the country.

There were also rallies in northwest Iran over the drying up of Lake Urmia.

Pensioners gather at empty tablecloths in Sirjan in southern Iran:


UPDATE, JULY 2:

Iran’s currency is nearing a new historic low after the latest setback in talks to renew the 2015 nuclear deal.

The rial stands at 326,500:1 v. the US dollar on Saturday afternoon, closing on the record of 328,500:1 set last month.

Having recovered more than 10% of its value on the eve of indirect US-Iran talks in Qatar this week, Iran’s currency has lost almost all of the gains after American and European officials spoke of discussions “going backwards”.

Facing the economic consequences of collapsed talks, Iran maintained that the negotiations were “serious and positive”.

See also No Progress in Iran Nuclear Talks In Qatar


UPDATE, JUNE 21:

Protests and strikes are still spreading across Iran.

Truck drivers rallied in Tehran on Monday. Workers in Mahmoudabad in central Iran continued their strike for a third day. More than 300,000 stone factory employees in Isfahan are still striking despite the arrest of a union leader.

Pensioners have gathered in front of the governor’s office in Ahvaz in southwest Iran on Tuesday:

In Zanjan on Monday, the demonstrators directly challenged Iran’s religious leaders, “It’s mourning day today, pensions are under the cloaks [of clerics].”


UPDATE 1649 GMT:

Pensioners protest in Lorestan Province in western Iran, “How nice are promises but they are all lies” and “Enough with promises, our table cloths are empty!”:


UPDATE, JUNE 19:

Among protests across Iran on Sunday, pensioners in Ahvaz in southern Iran shout at officials, “Pretender of justice, shame on you! Incapable manager, resign, resign!”:

Pensioners in Rasht in northern Iran: “Shout out, shout out against so much injustice!”:

A protest in Kerman in central Iran on Saturday:


UPDATE, JUNE 16:

More bazaar merchants and shopkeepers joined protests across Iran’s cities on Wednesday.

Mobile phone sellers in Najafabad in central Iran joined the demonstrations, closing their shops over the sinking Iranian currency and an increase in tax rates.

Protests were also reported in Arak, Kazerun, and Minab yesterday.

Footage of truckers protesting in front of Iran’s Transport Organization, complaining over unmet demands and “incompetents” who are responsibles:

A stockbreeder in front of the Gorgan Power Office in northern Iran says, “I brought my cow, perhaps she understands why our power has not been connected.”

UPDATE 1802 GMT:

Footage of the fourth day of a strike by Bazaar merchants in Arak in southern Iran — “Women have joined us, the dishonorable are sitting [at home]”:



UPDATE 0818 GMT:

Labor Minister Hojjatullah Abdul Maleki has resigned over ongoing national protests about economic conditions and pension.

As demonstrations spread earlier this month, Maleki was booed by crowds. He was blamed after the Government only authorized 10% increase in the pensions of non-minimum wage retirees, far below Iran’s official rate of more than 40%.

The Government issued no statement on Tuesday, but a senior MP blamed Maleki’s “incompetence” for the unrest.

Pensioners again gathered in the southern city of Ahvaz on Tuesday, chanting about the “lies” and “hypocrisy” of Iranian officials.

In front of the Governor’s office, they shouted, “You talk about Imam Husayn [the third Shia Imam], but you act like thieves.”

Protests were also reported in Tehran, Kermanshah, Shush, Zanjan, Kazeroon, Najaf-Abad, and Isfahan.


UPDATE, JUNE 15:

Following Central Bank intervention with “unprecedented measures” (see below), Iran’s rial has recovered more than 3% of its value.

On Wednesday morning, it stands at 321,500:1 v. the US dollar — close to its previous historic low of October 2020.


UPDATE, JUNE 13:

Iran’s currency has fallen another 3% after setting a historic low last Thursday.

The rial stands at 321,800:1 v. the US dollar on Monday morning.

The Central Bank of Iran held an emergency meeting with foreign exchange businesses on Sunday. Afterwards, CBI governor Ali Salehabadi said the bank would introduce a series of “unprecedented measures” to control the exchange rate.

He said a ban on supply of foreign currency to individuals and businesses will be lifted, assuring that “we will be able to fully cover the demand in the market”.

Pensioners’ protests continued across the country on Sunday. In Tehran, a crowd gathered in front of the Tehranpars Power Office to chant, “Death to this people-cheating government. Water and power for living is our indisputable right.”

In Isfahan, this demonstration added anger amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “Russian Embassy, Den of Spies” — a revision of the slogan from the 1979 Islamic Revolution directed at the US Embassy:

Bazaar workers have also rallied in some cities:


UPDATE, JUNE 11:

Iran’s currency has slid to an all-time low amid more confrontation with the international community over the Iranian nuclear program.

The rial set the mark on Thursday, dipping to 322,500:1 v. the US dollar. It sank another 2% on Saturday to 328,500:1.


ORIGINAL ENTRY, JUNE 8: With no prospect of a breakthrough in stalled nuclear talks, Iran’s currency is sinking to a historic low amid spreading protests over economic conditions.

The rial stands at 319,000:1 vs. the US dollar, close to the 322:000:1 mark reached on October 15, 2020.

The currency recovered more than 20% to 254,000:1 in the days after the November 2020 US election because of the defeat of Donald Trump, who had withdrawn from the 2015 nuclear agreement, and the prospect of a Biden Administration returning to negotiations.

Since then, the currency has gradually slipped amid Iran’s economic difficulties. However, the effective suspension of nuclear talks in March has prompted a sharper decline.

Meanwhile, there have been a series of nationwide protests across Iran this spring: over pay and poor conditions for teachers, over a sharp rise in food prices after a restructuring of Government subsidies, and over a building collapse in Abadan in southern Iran which killed 41 people.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Blames “Enemies” for Protests Over Deadly Building Collapse

This week pensioners took to the streets in at least 16 Iranian cities, angry and concerned over a spike in inflation including the soaring food costs.

In Qazvin in central Iran, the crowd chanted, “The revolutionary government is such a liar,” scoffing at the Raisi Government’s declaration of “revolutionary principles”. In Shiraz in the south, the pensioners held a symbolic funeral for a tablecloth to highlight the disappearance of food from their baskets.

Other rallies called for the resignation of President Ebrahim Raisi, who took power in a managed election last June, and of “incompetent” officials. In the capital Tehran, protesters gathered outside the Parliament building, with several of the elderly reportedly pushed into police vans and “transferred to unknown locations”.

Iran’s official inflation rate already stood at more than 40% before the shock of early May, in which prices of commodities such as flour rose by up to 500%.

Last week, the Government approved a bill to raise pensions by 10% to 60%, but demonstrators said the scheme is unequal and does not keep up with the soaring prices. Parliament’s Social Committee has summoned Labor and Welfare Minister Hojjatollah Abdolmaleki to answer questions.