HRANA – On the third day of economic protests and strikes in Iran, the scope of demonstrations expanded beyond bazaars and commercial centers. With students, citizens, and various social groups joining in, the protests turned into one of the most widespread movements seen in recent years. Incoming reports indicate the spread of protests to numerous cities, an increased presence of law enforcement and security forces, the use of tear gas, the arrest of a number of protesters, and extensive securitization of urban spaces.

Protests that initially began with gatherings and strikes by Tehran’s bazaar merchants entered a new and more expansive phase on their third day, yesterday, Tuesday, December 30. With universities, urban neighborhoods, and markets across multiple provinces joining in, the movement evolved into a convergence of labor, student, and street protests, significantly broadening both its scope and social base.

Background of the Protests

The ongoing protests have taken shape amid a deepening and multifaceted economic crisis in Iran, marked by an unprecedented surge in foreign exchange rates, the sharp devaluation of the national currency, persistent inflation, prolonged market stagnation, declining purchasing power, the growing inability of tradespeople to sustain economic activity, and widespread uncertainty over future livelihoods.

According to official data, the U.S. dollar has surpassed 140,000 tomans in recent days, alongside reports of massive capital flight from the stock market. A sharp decline in market indices and the movement of capital toward parallel markets such as currency and gold are cited as signs of growing distrust in economic stability. This situation has led to widespread shop closures, market strikes, and the formation of protest gatherings across the country.

Geography of the Protests

Based on collected information, demonstrations and strikes on the third day were reported in numerous locations in Tehran and other cities. In Tehran, streets including Jomhouri, Mollasadra, Bani Hashem, Khayyam, Sabounian, Enghelab Avenue, and Shoosh Square were among the areas where citizens gathered to protest. Reports also describe gatherings and marches by bazaar merchants and citizens in the Shadabad iron market and various parts of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, including the alleys of Seyed Esmail, Hammam-Chal, and Mohammad Sarraf.

In the provinces, the protests continued to expand. Reports came from Nourabad Mamasani in Fars Province; Hamedan; Fuladshahr and Najafabad in Isfahan Province; Kermanshah; Arak; and Shiraz. In Shiraz, strikes by bazaar merchants and protest gatherings were reported in several locations, including an area known as “Sar-e Dozak,” while a noticeable security presence was observed on major city thoroughfares.

Universities Join In and Student Protests

On the third day of the protests, students at numerous universities across the country joined the movement by holding protest gatherings in solidarity with the demands of shopkeepers and bazaar merchants. Student demonstrations were reported at universities in Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan, Shahid Beheshti, Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi, Sharif University of Technology, Iran University of Science and Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, Elm-o Farhang University, Isfahan University of Technology, and Allameh Tabataba’i University, underscoring the growing alignment between student activism and broader social and economic grievances.

During these gatherings, students raised not only demands related to livelihoods but also their own labor and political demands. According to verified videos, students chanted slogans such as: “The student may die, but will not accept humiliation,” “Neither headscarf nor beating, freedom and equality,” “All these years of crimes, death to this guardianship,” “Poverty, corruption, oppression, death to this despotism,” “Woman, Life, Freedom,” “Neither barracks nor enterprise, hail the university,” and “Political prisoners must be freed.”

Methods of Protest and Slogans

The third day of protests featured a combination of labor strikes, street gatherings, marches, and university protests. Bazaar merchants played a central role by closing their shops and calling on other tradespeople to strike.

Verified videos show chants including: “Close them, close them,” “Bazaar merchants closed, those without honor stayed seated,” “Honorable bazaar merchants, support, support,” “Death to the dictator,” “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran,” “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, we are all together,” and “Khamenei is a murderer; his rule is illegitimate,” heard in various locations.

Actions by Law Enforcement and Details of Violence

Reports indicate that in several areas of Tehran, special units and riot police moved in to disperse protesters. According to published images and videos, law enforcement and security forces used tear gas to scatter demonstrators on Khayyam Street in Tehran.

In Kermanshah, reports were received of tear gas being fired and clashes between security forces and protesters. In Hamedan, security forces reportedly confronted protesters in some central areas of the city and beat them.

Student sources reported clashes between security forces and protesting students at Shahid Beheshti University. In addition, there were reports of a heavy deployment of riot police around Tehran’s bazaar, several central streets of the capital, and outside the exit gates of Sharif University of Technology. In Shiraz, the creation of a security atmosphere on Hazrati Street was reported.

Images from Jomhouri Street in Tehran show that the large gathering of protesters in the area forced law enforcement and security forces to retreat.

Arrests and Security Pressure

During the third day of protests, a number of citizens and students were arrested. According to student sources, Abolfazl Moravati, a 2024 master’s student in computer engineering at Sharif University of Technology, was arrested with beatings by security forces in front of the university gate.

Additionally, four students from the University of Tehran, Shahin Shokouhi, Aref Hadi-Nejad, Mobin Aminian, and Mani Eydi, were arrested during yesterday’s protest gatherings and transferred to undisclosed locations. They were reportedly released earlier today.

Earlier this evening, a video was published showing that at least 11 citizens were arrested by law enforcement and security forces on Sabounian Street near Shoosh Square in Tehran. The identities of these individuals have not yet been confirmed.

At the same time, Zahra Soleimani, the wife of Mehdi Beik, political editor of Etemad newspaper, announced that her husband had been arrested after going to Tehran’s bazaar to cover the protests. Hours later, Etemad reported his release. Mehdi Beik has previously been arrested as well.

In addition, a relative of Fariba Fereydouni, a civil activist, told HRANA that she had been summoned to the Khomein Intelligence Department after publishing content about the popular protests but refused to appear at the security agency.

Reactions of Officials and State Media

In response to the protests, the head of the Supreme Court pointed to the role of officials’ performance in creating economic problems and described livelihood conditions and rising prices as among society’s main challenges. At the same time, he emphasized that those described as “disruptors of the economic system” would be dealt with.

The government spokesperson also commented on the protests, saying: “When the people’s voice is raised, it means the pressures have been heavy, and it is the government’s duty to listen to these voices.” He claimed that the right to peaceful assembly is recognized in the Constitution.

By contrast, media outlets such as Mashregh News and Tasnim News Agency described the protests as “limited” and claimed an external origin or “media exploitation” of the gatherings.

Meanwhile, the head of the Tax Affairs Organization announced an agreement among the heads of the three branches of government to apply discounts and tax reductions for tradespeople, an announcement made as protests in recent days have gone beyond purely labor-related issues and increasingly highlighted political demands.

In Conclusion

Protests that began in Tehran’s bazaar, on their third day, have been marked by geographic expansion, the joining of universities, increased citizen participation, and an intensified presence of security forces. The combination of livelihood and political demands, rising arrests, and officials’ attempts to simultaneously manage the crisis through economic and security measures underscore the authorities’ heightened sensitivity to the continuation of these protests.

HRANA continues to collect, verify, and complete information related to these protests and will publish follow-up reports should the gatherings continue or expand.