Protests over a struggling economy roiling Iran

Islamic Republic faces new pressure at a time when its allies have been decimated.

- BY JON GAMBRELL

Widening protests in Iran sparked by the Islamic Republic's ailing economy are putting new pressure on its theocracy.

Tehran is still reeling from a 12-day war launched by Israel in June that saw the United States bomb nuclear sites in Iran. Economic pressure, which has intensified since September when the United Nations reimposed sanctions on the country over its atomic program, has put Iran's rial currency into a free fall, now trading at around 1.4 million to $1.

Meanwhile, Iran's self-described Axis of Resistance—a coalition of countries and militant groups backed by Tehran—has been decimated in the years since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023.

A threat by President Trump warning Iran that if Tehran "violently kills peaceful protesters" the U.S. "will come to their rescue," has taken on new meaning after American troops captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a longtime ally of Tehran. Iran has installed a banner in Tehran warning the United States and Israel that their soldiers could be killed if they take military action there.

Here's what to know about the protests and the challenges facing Iran's government.

How widespread the protests are

Demonstrations have reached more than 170 locations in 25 of Iran's 31 provinces, the U.S. based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Sunday. The death toll had reached at least 15, it added, with more than 580 arrests. The group, which relies on an activist network inside Iran for its reporting, has been accurate in past unrest.

Understanding the scale of the protests has been difficult. Iranian state media have provided little information about the demonstrations. Online videos offer only brief, shaky glimpses of people in the streets or the sound of gunfire. Journalists in general in Iran also face limits on reporting, such as requiring permission to travel around the country, as well as the threat of harassment or arrest by authorities.