Calls for regime change starting to be heard as crowds decry economic problemsListen to this articleShopkeepers and traders in Tehran protest against economic conditions in Iran. At least 25 cities have seen protest gatherings of varying sizes, according to an AFP tally based on local media. However, local media do not necessarily report on every incident, and state media have downplayed coverage of protests, while videos flooding social media are often impossible to verify. The movement kicked off on Sunday when shopkeepers went on strike in Tehran to protest economic conditions, and spread after university students elsewhere in the country took up the cause. Her death sparked a nationwide wave of anger that left several hundred people dead, including dozens of members of the security forces.

Source: Bangkok Post January 03, 2026 14:36 UTC