Hundreds of Iranians continued protests Monday in Tehran over soaring inflation and the currency’s sharp decline, which saw the rial sink more than 7% in one day to 1.4 million rials per dollar. Demonstrators chanted slogans including “shut it down”, “death to the dictator”, and “Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be toppled this year”. Shops remained closed amid the unrest as entrepreneurs lamented the currency’s free-fall and its impact on businesses.
The protests forced the resignation of Iran’s central bank chief. President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed Abdolnaser Hemmati as the new central bank governor to calm tensions, but citizens said they would return to the streets Tuesday. Students from institutions such as Shahid Beheshti University and Amirkabir University pledged to join the protests. U.S. President Donald Trump also warned he would back Israeli strikes if Iran continued its missile infrastructure programme.