The roar of “Azadi”—freedom—has returned to the streets of Tehran, forcing Iran’s leadership into a rare defensive crouch as the national currency crumbles into dust.

Triggered by a record plunge in the Iranian rial against the US dollar, these are the most significant demonstrations to shake the Islamic Republic since the 2022 uprising following the death of Mahsa Amini. For a regime recently battered by regional conflict, the economic despair of its citizens has become an existential threat that force alone cannot silence.

The Bazaar Rebels

The unrest began on Sunday, not in universities, but in the commercial heart of the capital. Traders and shopkeepers in downtown Tehran shuttered their businesses—a historically potent signal of dissent in Iranian politics. When the bazaar closes, the government usually listens.

The economic pain is acute. While specific exchange rates fluctuate wildly, the collapse of the rial effectively eviscerates the savings of ordinary families. For a Kenyan reader, the scenario is a nightmare version of inflation: imagine the purchasing power of the Kenya Shilling (KES) evaporating overnight, making basic staples unaffordable.

Video footage verified by international news agencies shows the dissent spreading rapidly beyond Tehran to major cities including:

• Isfahan: Known for its industrial base.
• Shiraz: A cultural hub in the south.
• Mashhad: A key religious center, indicating the protests have crossed conservative lines.

Demonstrators were heard chanting, “Don’t be afraid, we are together,” defying police in riot gear who responded with teargas. Yet, the response from the top has been unexpectedly measured.

A Change in Tactics?

In a move that has surprised observers accustomed to the regime’s iron fist, President Masoud Pezeshkian has instructed his cabinet to engage with the dissenters. On Tuesday, a government spokesperson confirmed that a mechanism for dialogue would be established to speak with protest leaders.

“The livelihood of my people is my daily concern,” Pezeshkian wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding that reforms to the banking system were on the agenda to “preserve the purchasing power of the people.”

This marks a sharp pivot from 2022, when the state responded to the Mahsa Amini protests with an internet blackout and live ammunition. Analysts suggest this softer approach is calculated. Following a bruising 12-day conflict with Israel earlier this summer, the government is desperate to shore up domestic stability.

Observers note that the dreaded “morality police” have already relaxed the enforcement of strict social codes in Tehran, perhaps realizing that fighting a war on two fronts—one against foreign adversaries and one against their own hungry citizens—is a battle they cannot win.