Iran clashes spread beyond capital in fourth day of protests

Arsalan Shahla, Bloomberg News on Dec 31, 2025

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Iranians staged protests against worsening economic and living standards for a fourth day, with clashes between security forces and civilians erupting in cities across the Islamic Republic.

Demonstrators took to the streets of Tehran and outside the capital on Wednesday, extending unrest that began after the national currency plunged to historic lows on Sunday. That’s triggered a rise in food prices with inflation hitting more than 40% in December, exacerbated by strict international sanctions.

Fasa, a city of about 150,000 people in south-central Iran, emerged as a focal point. Protesters stormed the governor’s office, setting fires and throwing rocks, according to footage published by the state-affiliated Nour News.

Additional videos on social media showed security forces firing shots and referenced casualties. The semi-official Tasnim news agency denied anyone had died and reported that three police officers were injured in the clashes.

The unrest continued even after Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian moved to appease protesters on Tuesday, pledging to revise planned tax increases and calling demands for change “legitimate.” While the country is notoriously authoritarian, it has a history of nationwide protest movements — most recently in 2019 and 2022.

In Tehran, social media footage on Wednesday depicted closed shops and gatherings around the Grand Bazaar, where the first wave of protests began at the weekend, despite a heavy security presence. Videos said to be from Tuesday night appeared to show masked riot police moving through market areas and using batons to force shop closures and disperse crowds.

The Tehran-based Shargh newspaper reported that at least four students were detained on Tuesday during protests at the University of Tehran. The paper also said a political reporter for the reformist newspaper Etemad was arrested while covering Monday’s protests in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and released on Wednesday.

The unrest comes amid renewed US and Israeli threats against Iran. US President Donald Trump on Monday warned of potential strikes after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing concerns that Tehran is rebuilding its nuclear program and expanding its ballistic missile capabilities following joint US-Israeli attacks in June.

Iran’s foreign minister fired back at Trump’s rhetoric in a letter released Wednesday. Abbas Araghchi warned of “dangerous consequences” and said Tehran “would not hesitate to deliver a firm and regret-inducing response to any act of aggression.”