Iran is once again on the brink.
Over the past two days, widespread protests have erupted across major Iranian cities, marking the largest wave of unrest the country has seen in nearly three years. Streets echoed with chants of “mullahs must leave” and “death to the dictator” as protesters confronted security forces loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the ruling clerical establishment.
This time, the anger is raw, coordinated, and unmistakably political.
An Economy in Freefall
At the heart of the unrest lies a collapsing economy that has pushed ordinary Iranians to the edge.
The Iranian rial has plunged past 42,000 to the US dollar, wiping out savings and making daily survival increasingly difficult. Inflation has surged beyond 42%, driving up food prices, fuel costs, and basic necessities. For many households, wages no longer last beyond a few days.
Years of international sanctions, compounded by structural mismanagement and corruption, have hollowed out the economy. The middle class has shrunk dramatically, while unemployment and underemployment among youth continue to rise.
This economic pain has now spilled onto the streets — and it is no longer being framed as a temporary hardship, but as a systemic failure of the Islamic Republic itself.
From Economic Anger to Political Defiance
Unlike earlier protests that focused narrowly on prices or subsidies, the current unrest has crossed a clear line.
Slogans no longer target individual policies; they directly challenge the legitimacy of clerical rule. Protesters are openly rejecting the authority of religious leaders, calling for an end to the theocratic system that has governed Iran since 1979.
Videos circulating from multiple cities show crowds chanting in unison, defying fear despite the presence of armed security forces. Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad described the scenes as the voice of a population that “does not want the Islamic Republic.”
The message is blunt: economic collapse has exposed political exhaustion.
The Trump Pressure Question
The timing of the protests has reignited debate over the role of renewed American pressure under US President Donald Trump.
Trump’s return to the White House has brought a sharper, more confrontational approach toward Tehran. Sanctions enforcement has intensified, financial channels have tightened, and diplomatic engagement has been replaced by pressure tactics.
While the protests are not externally orchestrated, the economic consequences of renewed sanctions are undeniable. The rial’s collapse and inflation spike have accelerated since the tightening of US measures, amplifying public frustration.
However, to frame the unrest purely through a “Trump angle” would be misleading.
The protests are homegrown. They are the result of decades of economic mismanagement, political repression, and a leadership structure unwilling to reform. External pressure may act as a catalyst, but the fuel is entirely domestic.
The Regime’s Familiar Response
The Iranian state has responded in predictable fashion.
Security forces have moved swiftly to disperse crowds, block streets, and restrict movement. Internet disruptions and communication slowdowns have been reported, a familiar tactic aimed at preventing coordination and limiting the spread of images.
State media has largely downplayed the scale of the protests, framing them as isolated incidents or blaming “foreign agitation.” Yet the geographic spread and intensity suggest something deeper — a crisis of confidence within the system.
The regime has survived such moments before, but each cycle leaves it weaker, more dependent on force, and further disconnected from society.
A Tipping Point or Another Suppressed Uprising?
Iran has witnessed repeated waves of protest over the past decade — in 2009, 2017, 2019, and 2022. Each time, the state managed to suppress dissent without offering meaningful reform.
What makes this moment different is the convergence of factors:
Severe economic collapse Open rejection of clerical authority A population increasingly unafraid to name the system as the problem
Whether this unrest becomes a sustained movement or is once again crushed remains uncertain. What is clear is that the social contract between the Iranian state and its people is badly fractured.
The Bigger Picture
These protests are not simply about inflation or currency rates. They are about dignity, representation, and exhaustion.
For many Iranians, the question is no longer “Can the system be fixed?” but “Why should it continue at all?”
As chants of “mullahs must leave” echo through Iranian streets, the message is unmistakable: economic pain has transformed into political rebellion. External pressure may shape the environment, but the uprising itself is a mirror held up to decades of unaddressed internal failure.
The world may debate geopolitics.
On the streets of Iran, the debate is about survival — and the future.
