27 Dead As Anti-Khamenei Protest Rage On In Iran; Clashes Break Out In Tehran's Grand Bazaar

Last Updated:January 07, 2026, 09:08 IST

At least 27 protesters, including five minors under the age of 18, were killed since the unrest began.

More than 1,000 people have been arrested nationwide. (AFP)

Iranian security forces fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators at Tehran’s main bazaar on Tuesday as protests over soaring prices and currency collapse intensified, with an NGO reporting that more than two dozen people have been killed in the crackdown.

The demonstrations, described as the most serious to hit the Islamic Republic in three years, were sparked by public anger over the rising cost of living after the Iranian rial plunged to a new record low against foreign currencies.

According to a report by AFP, at least 27 protesters, including five minors under the age of 18, have been killed by security forces since the unrest began. Iranian authorities, meanwhile, said members of the security forces have also died, including a policeman who was shot dead on Tuesday.

The protests began on December 28, when merchants shut down the Tehran bazaar, a key economic hub, and later spread to other regions, particularly western provinces with Kurdish and Lor populations.

Iran’s Fars news agency reported that “sporadic gatherings" took place during an afternoon shutdown at the bazaar, with police dispersing protesters, who fled into nearby alleyways. Social media footage verified by AFP showed demonstrators chanting slogans such as “Pahlavi will return" and “Seyyed Ali will be overthrown", referring to the monarchy ousted in 1979 and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Other videos posted by rights groups showed crowds shouting “freedom" and “shameless" before security forces fired tear gas, sending people scrambling as smoke filled the area.

While the current unrest has not reached the scale of the 2022–2023 protests triggered by Mahsa Amini’s death in custody or the mass demonstrations of 2009, it poses a fresh challenge to Iran’s leadership amid a deepening economic crisis. President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government has announced modest monthly payments to ease public hardship, but the head of the judiciary warned there would be no leniency for what he termed “rioters."

IHR said more than 1,000 people have been arrested nationwide and accused security forces of using lethal force in multiple provinces. It reported that at least six protesters were killed in a single incident in Ilam province on Saturday and alleged that authorities later raided hospitals to detain injured demonstrators. Amnesty said such actions show “how far the Iranian authorities are willing to go to crush dissent." Pezeshkian has ordered an investigation into events in Ilam, even as clashes continued and a policeman was shot dead in the area.

The unrest has coincided with a sharp deterioration of Iran’s currency, which fell to around 1.47 million rials to the dollar on the informal market, compared with 1.43 million when protests first erupted late last month.

News world 27 Dead As Anti-Khamenei Protest Rage On In Iran; Clashes Break Out In Tehran's Grand Bazaar

Read More