HomeIran News NowIran Protests & DemonstrationsSecond Day of Strikes Paralyzes Tehran Grand Bazaar as Currency Hits Historic...
Iran Protests & Demonstrations

Second Day of Strikes Paralyzes Tehran Grand Bazaar as Currency Hits Historic Low

Written by Mansoureh Galestan
Protesters rally at Tehran’s Saadi metro station as Bazaar strikes enter second day —December 29, 2025
Protesters rally at Tehran’s Saadi metro station as Bazaar strikes enter second day —December 29, 2025

The historic corridors of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, traditionally the economic heartbeat of the nation and a barometer for the country’s political stability, fell silent on Monday, December 29, 2025. For the second consecutive day, merchants shuttered their shops, leaving the bustling alleyways empty of commerce but filled with the roar of anti-regime slogans.

The strike, which began on Sunday, December 28, has rapidly evolved from an economic outcry into a political uprising. Sparked by the catastrophic collapse of the national currency—with the US dollar reportedly nearing 150,000 tomans—the unrest has spread from the traditional market centers to modern commercial districts and other major cities, signaling a profound rupture between the Iranian business class and the ruling theocracy.

A Capital in Shutdown

On Monday, December 29, the scope of the strike widened significantly. Reports and video footage confirmed that the closures were not limited to the Grand Bazaar. The strike paralyzed major commercial arteries across Tehran, including Lalehzar Street (the electronics hub), the Bein-al-Haramein market, and the Chahar Souq area. Specialized sectors joined the blackout, including the gold market, the spare parts market on Cheragh Bargh Street, and the shoe market at Bagh-e Sepahsalar.

The shutdown also hit the modern symbols of Tehran’s economy. The massive Alaeddin and Charsoo mobile phone complexes—hubs for the country’s tech trade—closed their doors. In the west of the capital, the Yaftabad furniture market and the Delavaran market ceased operations.

The geography of the dissent illustrates a total collapse of the policies of the administration of regime president Masoud Pezeshkian. Protests spilled out from the marketplaces onto major thoroughfares, including Enghelab, Taleghani, Saadi, Naser Khosrow, and Jomhuri avenues.

While Tehran remained the epicenter, the unrest is not contained within the capital. Protests erupted in Karaj, west of Tehran, and Mashhad, where demonstrators gathered in Shohada and Saadi squares. In Kurdistan province, retirees from the telecom sector held simultaneous protests, crying out against the plunder of their pension funds by state-affiliated entities, specifically naming the “Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order” (EIKO) and the IRGC.

From “The Dollar” to “The Dictator”

While the immediate trigger for the strikes was the plummeting value of the Rial, the rhetoric on the streets shifted almost instantly from economic grievances to calls for regime change. Merchants, who stated explicitly that “business is impossible with a 150,000-Toman dollar,” were joined by ordinary citizens in chants that targeted the highest levels of the clerical establishment.

The slogans recorded on Monday cut through the regime’s propaganda. Protesters chanted, “Death to the Dictator,” referring to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In a direct rejection of the regime’s regional interventionism, crowds shouted, “No Gaza, No Lebanon, my life for Iran.”

Other slogans highlighted the specific failures of the current government and the determination of the merchant class:

  • “Pezeshkian, shame on you, let go of the country.”
  • “This year is the year of blood, Seyyed Ali [Khamenei] will be overthrown.”
  • “A market merchant dies but does not accept humiliation.”
  • “Until the Mullahs are shrouded, this homeland won’t be a homeland.”

The swift politicization of the protests underscores a reality admitted even by regime officials. Masoud Pezeshkian, commenting on the 2026 (1405) budget, recently conceded, “If problems aren’t solved, we can’t govern,” a rare admission of the existential crisis facing the Islamic Republic’s management.

Confrontation and Defiance on the Streets

The regime’s response followed its standard playbook: suppression. Heavy deployments of security forces were reported at the Istanbul Crossroads, Pol-e Hafez, and surrounding the City Theater (Teatr-e Shahr). In the Bagh-e Sepahsalar district and Kargar Street, security forces fired tear gas into crowds of shopkeepers and onlookers.

However, the atmosphere on the street was one of defiance rather than submission. Reports indicate that in several instances, protesters fought back against security charges. In the central zones of Tehran, the scene was described as a “hit and run” conflict, with youth forcing repressive forces to retreat in some areas.

One particularly telling incident occurred involving a state-affiliated cleric. After the cleric reportedly insulted the protesters, an angry crowd surrounded and destroyed his vehicle.

In another display of resistance captured on video near Jomhuri Street, a protester sat on the pavement directly in the path of advancing police motorcycles, refusing to flee despite the threat of violence.

Regime Panic and the Resistance’s Role

The ferocity and spread of the bazaar strikes have triggered high-level security alerts within the regime. The IRGC’s “Sarallah” Headquarters, responsible for the security of the capital, has reportedly placed the “Fatehin” and “Ashura” battalions and the Basij forces on 100% alert. Furthermore, the IRGC has put units in the neighboring provinces of Mazandaran, Qom, and Semnan on standby to deploy reinforcements to Tehran if the situation deteriorates further.

The regime’s own media has begun to acknowledge the organized nature of the uprising, attempting to blame the opposition for the radicalization of the street. The IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency reported that “small cells of 5 to 10 people” were present within the crowds, chanting slogans that went “beyond trade union demands.” Fars cited an intelligence official claiming this aligns with the “strategy of the enemy” and directly referenced Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

Mrs. Rajavi hailed the protesters, noting that the slogans targeting the Supreme Leader and the demand for regime change demonstrate that the Iranian people have identified the root cause of their misery. “The protesters identified both the root of the problem, the velayat-e faqih regime, and the solution: resistance and uprising,” Mrs. Rajavi stated, calling on the youth to form a chain of protests to support the bazaar.

As the sun set on Monday, the closure of Tehran’s markets stood as a stark testament to the regime’s failure. The strike has proven that the economic crisis can no longer be contained with hollow promises or temporary financial injections. With the Bazaar—once a pillar of traditional influence—now openly calling for the fall of the dictator, the Iranian regime faces a winter of discontent that shows every sign of turning into a revolution.

Previous article
Protesters in Tehran Repel Tear Gas Attack, Force Suppressive Forces to Retreat
Next article
Iran: Protests and Clashes Spread to Tehran, Mashhad, Kermanshah, Hamedan, Karaj, Malard, and Qeshm

RELATED ARTICLES