Iran faces unrest as currency plunge sparks nationwide protests

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00:01Eyewitness video released on Tuesday shows crowds marching along a Tehran street over the soaring cost of living.

00:09Iran's currency has lost nearly half its value against the dollar in 2025, with inflation reaching above 42 percent in December.

00:19Reuters confirmed the video's location, but could not independently verify the date it was recorded.

00:24Iranian state media said the protests, which included shopkeepers and merchants in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, took place on Sunday and Monday.

00:34The semi-official Fars News Agency reported on Tuesday that the protests had spread to several universities.

00:42Unrest has repeatedly flared in Iran in recent years. Previous protests drew violent crackdowns and widespread arrests.

00:49On Tuesday, a government spokesperson said a dialogue mechanism would be set up and includes talks with protest leaders.

00:59The government will listen patiently, even if there are harsh voices, because we believe that our people are patient enough,

01:07and when their voices are raised, the pressure that is being put on them is high.

01:12The government's job is to hear the voices and help them reach a common understanding to solve the problems that exist in society.

01:26Iran's economy has been in deep trouble since U.S. sanctions were reimposed in 2018.

01:32Economic disparities between citizens and the elite, along with mismanagement and corruption, have fanned discontent.

01:39On Monday, the central bank chief resigned, and U.S. President Donald Trump said he may back another round of Israeli airstrikes

01:47if Tehran resumed work on ballistic missiles or any nuclear weapons program.

01:53Iran says its nuclear energy program is entirely peaceful and that it has not tried to build a nuclear bomb.