At the center of the unrest is Iran’s worsening economic situation. Recent inflation has significantly reduced the purchasing power of the national currency (the rial), making basic necessities such as food and housing increasingly unaffordable for many families. For many young people, unemployment rates have exemplified the general inability of Iranian youth to move on to economic independence. Even those with higher education are unable to secure stable jobs and intensified financial pressures have made economic grievances impossible for Iranians to ignore.
Since Nov. 1, 2025, the rial has seen an over 2,400% devaluation, with the steepest decline seen from Jan. 3 to Jan. 5, where the rial lost 40% of its purchasing power. This led to widespread economic struggles, as the once official–and accurate–$1 USD per 42,000 rial has declined to the current open-market average of $1 USD per ~1.3 million-1.5 million rial. With no increase in pay amid rapidly inclining prices, a sandwich that may have cost 84,000 rial Jan. 1, 2025, would cost around 2.2 million rial Jan. 1, 2026.
These economic challenges are closely tied to Iran’s political structure and international isolation. Years of sanctions–combined with government financial mismanagement and corruption–have limited economic growth and strained public resources. Many protestors have argued that the government has prioritized maintaining power over addressing citizen’s needs. Officials place the blame of the economic crisis on foreign pressure, yet Iranian critics point to a lack of transparency and accountability as major contributors to the country’s economic decline. As a result, economic struggle has become intertwined with political dissatisfaction.
“The government’s lack of transparency and inability to take accountability for their mismanagement of money, leading to the [economic] crisis is an example of the horrible negligence displayed by the Islamic regime,” sophomore Elenor Li said.
As protests have developed, the government’s response has highlighted the restrictive nature of the Islamic regime. Security forces have been deployed to disperse demonstrations, and reports of arrests have followed almost every protest. Public gatherings are heavily monitored, and any expressions of criticism or opposition are treated as threats to national security rather than legitimate political concerns. These (often violent) responses reinforce the idea that the Islamic regime relies on control and force rather than reform to maintain authority.
“The abuse of power demonstrated by the Islamic regime is unacceptable, and it’s shocking that nobody is speaking up about this,” sophomore Brooke Bullaro said.
In addition to physical crackdowns, the regime has heavily relied on information control. Internet restrictions and shutdowns have been used to limit communication between protestors and the outside world, preventing images and videos from spreading globally. Social media platforms—often used to share information and plan protests—are heavily monitored or blocked entirely.
“Social media and online platforms are the main source of my global information, and without internet access I would be unable to learn about the world,” sophomore Damaris Miranda said.
These restrictions affect not only activists, but also ordinary citizens who rely on online access for education, work, information and commerce, increasing economic strain felt by all Iranian citizens.
By late 2025, protests had gained momentum. Demonstrations of outrage appeared in urban centers, along with smaller provincial cities, with a record-breaking number of protests in Tehran. Protestors include large numbers of young citizens who feel that the current administration is unable to meet their needs, actively shutting down protests and continuing with corrupt practices. The dissatisfaction is felt throughout all demographics, due to the severity of the economic crisis and political instability.
Despite the violent reactions, protestors continue to fight daily for the freedom of the citizens from the oppressive government and for a peaceful transition to a more stable economy.
