Beyond the Protests

Iran’s Crisis, Sanctions, & Regional Power Play

- Hamid Ansari

Beginning on December 28, 2025, protests spread across several Iranian cities amid mounting economic pressure and public frustration.

Rising inflation, soaring food prices, and the sharp fall of the national currency formed the initial spark. What began as economic dissent soon took on political dimensions, drawing global attention and intense media scrutiny.

The demonstrations, which reportedly reached all 31 provinces by early January, were described by observers as the largest wave of unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, university students, and workers formed the early core of the movement before it extended to smaller towns. While many participants voiced genuine economic grievances, the rapid escalation of violence raised serious questions about the forces shaping the unrest.

Iranian authorities maintain that the protests were exploited and later driven by foreign-backed elements. The government accused the United States and Israel of fueling instability, a claim that aligns with Iran’s longstanding experience of external pressure, sanctions, and covert operations. From Tehran’s perspective, the pattern is familiar: economic warfare followed by internal disruption, all aimed at weakening the state from within.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the situation as a “terrorist war,” arguing that armed groups targeted police stations, mosques, government buildings, and commercial properties in a coordinated manner.

According to official figures, 53 mosques were set ablaze, and images of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei were burned. These acts, Iranian officials argue, go far beyond peaceful protest and reflect an organised campaign of chaos.