Iran losing control as public unrest intensifies

The situation in Iran has been steadily escalating in recent days. Ongoing protests across the country have entered an extremely sensitive and dangerous phase. On January 4, amid large-scale involvement of government security forces, the protests were expected to be suppressed. However, the situation has continued to deteriorate, with government control weakening day by day. As of January 9, internal unrest in Iran has been ongoing for 12 consecutive days.

Protests against the country’s leadership are spreading across increasingly wide areas. Demonstrations are now being observed not only in major cities but also in rural areas and remote regions. The participation of various social groups, including workers, traders, youth, and students, has further heightened the seriousness of the situation.

The protests, which began on December 28 due to severe economic hardship, quickly took on a political dimension. Slogans such as “Death to the dictator” and “Pahlavi will return” are being chanted in the streets, evoking memories of the period leading up to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Central streets in Tehran have been filled with thousands of people. At the same time, traders in many of the country’s major marketplaces, considered Iran’s key commercial hubs, have closed their shops and declared strikes in support of the protest movement.

The primary driver behind the protests is the country’s deep economic crisis. The sharp depreciation of the national currency, the rial, has caused the prices of basic goods to rise almost hourly. As of January 9, one U.S. dollar is equivalent to 994,055 Iranian rials. This has reinforced public perceptions that the country’s economy is on the brink of collapse.

For more details on the unfolding events, watch the analytical video report on QALAMPIR.UZ’s YouTube channel.