Iran Rial Value Plunge 2025 Protests: President Pezeshkian Vows Action Amid Economic Crisis

50% inflation and a currency in freefall. Iran's capital is echoing with the chants of desperate shopkeepers. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called on his government to listen to the "legitimate demands" of protesters following two days of intense demonstrations in Tehran triggered by the Iran rial value plunge 2025 protests.

Economic Despair Triggers Massive Tehran Shutdown

According to the IRNA news agency, shopkeepers in the Jomhouri mobile tech hubs and the historic Grand Bazaar shuttered their businesses on December 28 and 29. The rial has hit staggering new lows against the US dollar as Western sanctions tighten and the lingering threat of renewed conflict with Israel destabilizes the market.

"The livelihood of the people is my daily concern," Pezeshkian posted on X, formerly Twitter. He's tasked the Minister of the Interior to initiate dialogue with protest representatives. While state media acknowledges the economic motivation, they've been careful to distinguish these rallies from the broader anti-establishment unrest seen in previous years.

A Multi-Layered Crisis: Inflation and Resource Scarcity

The depreciating currency isn't the only ghost haunting the 90 million citizens. Iran is grappling with 50% inflation and a controversial budget that reveals a 62% tax hike on the horizon. Furthermore, a severe water and energy crisis has left dams feeding the capital nearly empty, adding physical hardship to financial ruin.

This unrest follows the 12-day war in June 2025, which claimed over 1,000 lives and devastated critical infrastructure. Additionally, geopolitical pressure continues as Trump and other global leaders signal intensified scrutiny over Iran's nuclear program.