{"id":348198,"date":"2026-09-21T16:56:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T15:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=348198"},"modified":"2026-09-21T16:56:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T15:56:55","slug":"protests-spread-in-iran-as-state-media-warns-of-economic-choke-points-and-security-mobilization-expands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/economy\/protests-spread-in-iran-as-state-media-warns-of-economic-choke-points-and-security-mobilization-expands\/","title":{"rendered":"Protests Spread in Iran as State Media Warns of Economic Choke Points and Security Mobilization Expands"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Retirees
Retirees in Shush, southern Iran, protested on August 2, 2026, over unpaid wages and unfulfilled promises by the government.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three-minute read<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s economic crisis<\/a> continued spilling into the streets on September 21, 2026, with retirees demonstrating across at least six cities while the rial remained near historic lows. At the same time, state-aligned media issued increasingly explicit warnings about restrictions on Iran\u2019s remaining trade and financial channels, while the authorities expanded a nationwide Basij mobilization beyond Tehran and into the provinces.<\/p>\n

Social Security retirees gathered in Rasht, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Tabriz, Sanandaj and Bijar, according to footage published by Simaye Azadi<\/a>. Protesters chanted \u201cOur wages are in rials, our expenses are in dollars\u201d and demanded the release of imprisoned workers and teachers. Some demonstrations also included opposition to executions, indicating that economic grievances were again intersecting with broader political demands.<\/p>\n

The currency provides the immediate economic backdrop. Iran\u2019s domestic market tracker TGJU put the free-market dollar at roughly 231,000 tomans on September 21, around 20 percent higher than one month earlier. The pressure comes as families enter the new school year facing sharply higher costs. Reporting based on Shargh<\/em> estimated that even basic supplies and one school uniform for a first-grade pupil cost at least 4.5 million tomans, while the number of children outside formal education has approached one million.<\/p>\n

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"Iran\u2019s accumulating #economic<\/a> pressures moved visibly into the streets on September 20, 2026, as retirees demonstrated in several cities while the rial again weakened sharply," writes @shahriarkia<\/a>.https:\/\/t.co\/scTS9SL15B<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) September 20, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n