Protests over rising prices spread across Iran as students join demonstrations
Tehran: Protests triggered by Iran’s worsening economic conditions spread to universities and commercial centres on Tuesday. Students joined shopkeepers and traders in demonstrations against soaring prices and the sharp fall of the national currency, according to semi-official media reports.
The unrest comes as the Iranian rial hit a record low, sliding to around 1.4 million against the US dollar on the open market, according to a Reuters. The currency has lost nearly half its value this year, while inflation reached 42.5 per cent in December, official data showed.
Semi-official Fars News Agency reported that hundreds of students staged protests at four universities in Tehran. Footage verified by Reuters showed groups of demonstrators marching through streets in the capital, chanting slogans, while state television broadcast images of gatherings in central areas of the city.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said late on Monday that he had instructed the interior minister to engage with protesters and listen to what he described as their legitimate demands. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said authorities would set up a dialogue mechanism that could include talks with protest leaders.
“We officially recognise the protests. We hear the voices of the people and understand that these demonstrations stem from pressure on livelihoods,” Mohajerani said in remarks carried by state media.
On social media platforms, several Iranians expressed support for the protests, warning that public anger over rising prices, corruption and economic inequality could spread further across the country.
Iran’s economy has been under strain for years following the reimposition of US sanctions in 2018 after Washington withdrew from the international nuclear agreement. United Nations sanctions were reinstated in September, and Reuters reported in October that senior officials had held multiple meetings to discuss ways to prevent economic collapse and manage public discontent.
President Pezeshkian, speaking at a meeting with trade unions and market representatives on Tuesday, said the government would make efforts to address economic grievances and ease concerns faced by workers and traders, according to state media.
On Monday, Iran’s central bank chief resigned, with local media linking the move to pressure on the currency market following recent economic liberalisation policies.
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Sonam Wangchuk taken to AIIMS Jodhpur after complaining of stomach pain
Jodhpur (PTI): Activist and scientist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been lodged in the Jodhpur Central Jail since September 27, 2025, was taken to AIIMS Jodhpur for medical examination early Saturday morning, officials said.
He spent approximately an hour and a half in the hospital's gastroenterology department before being escorted back to prison.
According to AIIMS sources, Wangchuk has been having stomach-related issues and visited the hospital on Friday as well for tests.
The Supreme Court, which is currently hearing a petition filed by his wife, has requested Wangchuk's medical report by February 2.
Following the Supreme Court's orders, police transported Wangchuk from Jodhpur Central Jail to the emergency department of AIIMS Hospital on Saturday morning, a police official said.
Wangchuk has been voicing concerns about his declining health in jail for some time now. Recognising his worsening condition, the Supreme Court ordered the Jodhpur jail administration on Thursday to arrange for him to be examined by a specialist.
During the Thursday hearing, a bench comprising Justice Arvind Kumar and Justice P B Varale directed jail authorities to ensure that Wangchuk receives an examination by a specialist doctor (a gastroenterologist) at a government hospital.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General for the Rajasthan government, K M Nataraj, reported that jail doctors had examined Wangchuk 21 times over the past four months, with the most recent check-up occurring on January 26.
Objecting to this submission, Wangchuk's counsel Kapil Sibal claimed that he was suffering from persistent stomach pain due to the water quality in jail.
Accepting Sibal's argument, the court said that medical treatment with a specialist must be provided in accordance with the patient's needs.
