Protests across Iran entered a fourth day as demonstrators angry over economic hardship and a rapidly weakening currency attempted to force their way into a local government building, according to state media.
The unrest began among shopkeepers in Tehran and has since expanded to multiple cities, reflecting growing pressure on households facing high inflation and rising living costs.
Authorities reported that security forces prevented protesters from entering a governorate building in the southern city of Fasa, detaining several people and reporting injuries among personnel.
Officials described the incident as an organised attempt to provoke disorder, while stressing that the situation was later brought under control.
The demonstrations were triggered by the sharp fall of Iran’s rial, which has lost significant value against the United States dollar in recent months.
At the time protests began, the currency was trading at about 1.42 million rials to the dollar, compared with far lower levels a year earlier.
Inflation remains high, reported at around 50 percent by Iranian sources and 42.5 percent in December according to Reuters, pushing up the cost of basic goods.
Economic strain has been compounded by renewed international sanctions, including those reinstated by the United Nations in September, and by longstanding United States restrictions.
Students joined the protests in Tehran and other cities including Isfahan, Yazd, and Zanjan, broadening the demonstrations beyond the merchant class.
Iranian officials have issued mixed messages, combining promises of dialogue with warnings of firm action against unrest deemed destabilising.
The government said it would establish a “dialogue mechanism” to hear protesters’ concerns, though details of how it would function have not been made public.
President Masoud Pezeshkian instructed officials to listen to what he described as legitimate economic demands and pledged to protect livelihoods.
At the same time, the prosecutor general warned that efforts to turn economic protests into insecurity or property damage would face a decisive legal response.
Analysts noted that public confidence in the government’s ability to address economic problems remains low, partly due to officials’ own admissions of limited options.
While authorities have framed the protests as narrowly economic, observers say their trajectory will depend on whether discontent widens beyond prices and currency stability.