$1 Exchanges for 1.4 Million Rials! Iran’s Currency Collapse Ignites Nationwide Fury, Gunfights Erupt in Multiple Places Leaving 7 Dead

As reported by the Associated Press, on January 1st, with the catastrophic collapse of Iran’s domestic currency, the rial, the wave of protests triggered by the economic crisis is rapidly spreading to rural and remote provinces across the country. According to the latest statistics, Thursday’s demonstrations have escalated into multiple fatal incidents, claiming the lives of at least 7 people, including protesters and a member of the paramilitary force. This signals that the Tehran authorities may be shifting toward harsher crackdown measures.

Different from previous protests concentrated in the capital Tehran, the focus of the current round of conflicts has shifted to remote areas inhabited by the Lur ethnic group. In the city of Azna, approximately 300 kilometers away from Tehran, online videos captured streets engulfed in flames and intense gunfire. The semi-official Fars News Agency confirmed three deaths in the area. In addition, reports emerged of police opening fire on demonstrators in Lordegan and Fuladshahr, resulting in casualties.

Iran’s state-run media IRNA reported that a 21-year-old member of the Basij paramilitary force was killed while performing a "public order maintenance" mission on Wednesday night. Officials from Lorestan Province attributed his death to "the hands of rioters" and stated that another 13 security personnel were injured.

Although local official Saeed Prali acknowledged that "the protests stem from inflation and livelihood issues," the authorities have still taken resolute arrest actions. A total of 20 people were detained in Khorramabad alone. State television also announced the arrest of multiple individuals accused of having links with "monarchists" and European groups, along with the seizure of over a hundred smuggled pistols.

Currently, the Iranian rial has plummeted to a historic low of 1.4 million rials to the U.S. dollar. Despite reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian expressing willingness to negotiate, he admitted to being powerless to halt the currency’s free fall.

The deeper backdrop of the unrest lies in military pressures. The aftermath of the war launched by Israel last June lingers on, while the prior U.S. bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities has further exacerbated the situation. Although Iran claims to have suspended domestic uranium enrichment as a gesture of goodwill toward the West, negotiations aimed at easing sanctions remain deadlocked as Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu continue to issue tough warnings.