Mass protests in Iran began against the backdrop of a sharp devaluation of the national currency—the rial—which led to rising prices and instability in the exchange rate. Since January 8, public discontent has become more pronounced, when Reza Pahlavi, the heir to the Shah of Iran who was overthrown in 1979, called for strikes and the seizure of key facilities. He also appealed to former U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene in the situation. In several cities, protests escalated into clashes with law enforcement, accompanied by anti-corruption slogans. On January 12, the country's authorities reported that control over the situation had been restored, and two days later officially announced the end of the unrest. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian promised to continue economic reforms and accused the U.S. and Israel of orchestrating the turmoil.
Last week, on the night of Thursday, Tehran temporarily closed its airspace due to a potential threat of American attacks. This decision followed Trump’s threat to strike Iran if local security forces opened fire on protesters.
Official circles of the Islamic Republic stated that they currently do not plan to take preventive measures and prefer to negotiate, but are ready for military action if necessary.
