Cost of Living Protests Spread to Iranian Universities Amid Currency Crisis

Protests over rising living costs in Iran have spread to universities across several cities, as students joined merchants in condemning currency devaluation and soaring inflation. President Masoud Pezeshkian has pledged talks with protest leaders amid a weakening rial and growing economic pressure.

Protests over rising living costs in Iran spread to several universities on Tuesday, according to semi-official media reports, as students joined shopkeepers and merchants in voicing anger over the sharp devaluation of the national currency and the resulting increase in everyday expenses.
The Fars news agency reported that hundreds of students staged demonstrations at four universities in the capital, Tehran, on Tuesday, while other media outlets said protests took place at as many as seven locations across the city. The demonstrations reflected growing frustration among young people over worsening economic conditions.
Protests were also reported outside the capital. According to the Ilna news agency and the state-run IRNA, students gathered at a technology university in the central city of Isfahan, as well as at institutions in the cities of Yazd and Zanjan, highlighting the nationwide spread of discontent.
President pledges talks with protest leaders
President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the unrest late on Monday following major demonstrations in Tehran, using social media to announce that he had instructed the interior minister to arrange talks with protest leaders. He said the aim was to discuss what he described as the “legitimate demands” of protesters and to formulate an appropriate government response.
Pezeshkian said the government had “fundamental actions” planned to reform Iran’s monetary and banking systems and to protect the purchasing power of citizens. His comments came as Iran’s rial has lost almost half of its value against the US dollar over the course of 2025, severely affecting household incomes.
Inflation reached 42.5% in December, driven by the weight of ongoing US and European sanctions as well as fears of renewed Israeli strikes following a brief conflict in June. The deteriorating economic situation has intensified public pressure on the government.
On Tuesday, Iranian media quoted government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani as saying that authorities “recognize” the protesters and their concerns. She said officials were listening to their voices and acknowledged that the demonstrations stemmed from “natural pressure arising from the pressure on people’s livelihoods.”
At the same time, the government organized a large rally of flag-waving supporters in Tehran on Tuesday, one of its regular demonstrations aimed at showing public backing for the ruling system and countering displays of dissent.
The protests mark the first significant wave of public unrest since June’s brief war with Israel, which had initially sparked strong expressions of patriotic unity across the country. Since then, economic hardships have again come to the fore.
Iran’s economy has struggled for years following the reimposition of US sanctions in 2018. Additional strain was added in September when United Nations sanctions came back into force after efforts to revive nuclear disarmament talks collapsed.
On Tuesday, the rial slid to around 1.4 million to the US dollar on private exchange platforms, compared with about 817,500 to the dollar at the start of the year. The sharp fall has further fueled public anger.
On Monday, Iran’s central bank chief resigned, with local media reporting that recent economic liberalization measures introduced by the government had put additional pressure on the open-rate currency market, where ordinary Iranians purchase foreign currency.
Iran has experienced repeated waves of public protests in recent years, though such demonstrations are typically suppressed by security forces. Notable examples include protests over rising prices of essential goods such as bread in May 2022, followed by widespread unrest from late 2022 into early 2023 after the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurdish woman, while in the custody of the country’s morality police, which enforces strict dress codes.