Anti-government protests have broken out in all 31 provinces of Iran, in a wave of unrest that poses the biggest challenge to the regime in years.
An ongoing communications blackout, unprecedented in its scale, experts say, was imposed by authorities on Thursday, largely isolating the country from the outside world amid deadly unrest.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran if its security forces respond with force against demonstrators, who have reportedly left hundreds dead. Thousands more were arrested.
As public anger continues to rise, here’s what you need to know.
The protests began in Tehran’s bazaar about two weeks ago over rampant inflation, but have spread to more than 180 cities and towns across the country and turned into general protests against the regime.
Concerns about inflation surfaced when the prices of essential goods such as cooking oil and chicken rose dramatically, with some products disappearing from shelves entirely.
Making matters worse was the central bank’s decision to end a program that allowed some importers to take advantage of cheaper US dollars compared to the rest of the market. This prompted shopkeepers to raise prices, some shops to close, and demonstrations to break out.
The move by the Bazaar Shopkeepers, as they are known, is a drastic move for a group that has traditionally supported the Islamic Republic.
Iran’s reformist government tried to ease the pressure by providing direct cash transfers of nearly $7 a month to all citizens, but the measures did not quell unrest.
How widespread were the protests and how many people died?
The riots are the largest since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Martha Amini in religious police custody sparked widespread protests calling for “women, life and freedom.”
Inciting poverty and, at times, ethnic inequality, crowds chanted “Death to Khamenei,” a direct challenge to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, who has ultimate authority over the country’s religion and state affairs.
More than 500 protesters, including at least eight children, have been killed since the demonstrations began, according to the US-based Human Rights Defenders New Agency (HRANA). It was announced that approximately 10,700 people had been arrested. CNN could not independently confirm the number of people killed or arrested.
It is noteworthy that the recent protests began in the bazaar, a powerful force in changing Iranian history and considered loyal to the regime.
The enduring alliance between the bazaar and Iran’s Shiite Muslim clerics gave the shopkeepers an important role as kingmakers in Iran’s recent history. Their support for these clerics ultimately helped the success of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and provided the economic backbone for revolutionaries struggling to overthrow the shah or monarch.
“For more than 100 years of Iranian history, the bazaar has played an important role in all of Iran’s major political movements,” Alan Keshavarjian, professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies at New York University and author of “Iran’s Bazaar and the State,” told CNN. “Many observers believe that the Bazaars are some of the people most loyal to the Islamic Republic.”
Although their role as a major political force became more symbolic, it was the impact of currency fluctuations on their business that sparked the protests that later turned deadly.
Authorities have also sought to distinguish between economic demonstrators and those calling for regime change, labeling the latter as “insurgents” or foreign-backed “mercenaries” and threatening to crack down on them.
The Iranian regime, scarred by a major Israeli infiltration and attack last year, moved quickly to brand those calling for change enemies of the state. Equally shocking was the emergence of the ousted shah’s exiled son, Reza Pahlavi, as an alternative leader, who actively rallied protesters and called on them to take to the streets.
Dina Esfandiary, head of the Middle East at Geneva-based Bloomberg Economics, said the protests felt different from previous ones due to frustration and fatigue among Iranians.
“We’ve reached a boiling point,” Esfandiari said. “I predict that the Islamic Republic that we are witnessing today will not be possible in 2027. I really think there will be some change.”
Following Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, the influence of the Iranian regime has also weakened significantly compared to previous periods of unrest. In response, Israel launched a campaign to remove Iranian government proxies from the region, and Israel and the United States attacked Iranian nuclear facilities last year.
Who is running Iran? What is the Iranian regime doing about the unrest?
Iran has been a theocracy since 1979, when clerics overthrew a secular monarch allied with Western powers, leading to the establishment of the Islamic Republic led by Khamenei’s predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini.
Massoud Pezeshkian was elected president in 2024 and has pushed for a more pragmatic foreign policy, but his powers are limited and Khamenei remains in control of all major state affairs.
Mr Pezeshkian on Sunday blamed the ongoing unrest in his country on “terrorists” with ties to foreign countries, saying they were burning down bazaars, mosques and cultural sites. He also said the 12-day war between Israel and Iran last year had thrown his country into “chaos”.
Tehran prosecutor Ali Salehi said on Friday that some of the protesters could face the death penalty for their actions, according to the semi-state Tasnim news agency.
Salehi said acts of vandalism targeting public property carried out as part of anti-regime protests are considered “moharebeh,” or “waging war against God.” Punishments for Mohalebe include the death penalty.
Mr. Pezeshkian has previously cast himself as a champion of the working class, pledging economic relief through reduced government intervention in currency markets, while denouncing U.S. sanctions, corruption and excessive money printing.
But a combination of corruption across all branches of government, financial mismanagement, environmental issues and stagnant leadership has pushed the leadership to the brink.
“No one in Iran’s political leadership has a blueprint for getting Iran out of this crisis,” Associate Professor Keshavarzian told CNN.
“The only real tools left for the Islamic Republic are coercion and force. People have tried different methods to get their point across,” he added. “But over the past 15 years, a large part of the population has lost trust in the government.”
What did President Trump and Ayatollah Khamenei say?
President Trump said his administration is monitoring the deadly protests in Iran and continues to consider potential military options.
“The military is looking at it, we’re looking at some very strong options, and we’ll make a decision,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. The US president has repeatedly warned Tehran of serious consequences if protesters are killed.
President Trump said he received a call from Iran on Saturday seeking negotiations amid US threats. “They called yesterday,” President Trump said Sunday. “Iran called for negotiations.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Iran was ready to negotiate with the United States on the basis of “mutual respect and interests.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei also said that communication channels between Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff “remain open” and that “certain points and ideas are being presented by the other side.”
Just six months ago, Israel and the United States launched their first attack on Iran. President Trump has raised the possibility of a new attack in recent weeks after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in December.
In a statement released by Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Monday, Khamenei warned US politicians to “cease deceit” and not rely on what he called “treacherous mercenaries.”
Khamenei also expressed gratitude to Iranians who took part in Monday’s pro-government rally, saying the demonstrations had thwarted external plots against the country.
Khamenei previously called on President Trump to “focus on his country’s problems.”
“Some agitators are trying to please the American president by destroying public property. A united Iranian people will defeat all enemies,” he said on Friday.
Khamenei added: “The Islamic Republic will not back down in the face of those who seek to destroy us.”
CNN’s Billy Stockwell, Kara Fox, Max Saltman, Adam Polamadi, Charlotte Reck, Aditi Sangal, Betul Tansar, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Todd Simmons and Helen Regan contributed to this report.
