The Iranian government has cut off the internet for three days as protests against the economic crisis and rising prices intensified. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has warned of severe action against the rioters, saying they are being carried out by those who want to please the United States.

Despite this, protests continue in the capital Tehran and other major cities. A large number of people have been injured during the protests that have been going on for the past 14 days. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) has reported that 45 people have died so far during the protests. Eight of the dead are children. Similarly, more than 2,000 have been injured.  British media

BBC has quoted doctors in Tehran as saying that hospitals there are full of injured people from the protests. Recently, citizens have taken to the streets in Iran after the prices of daily necessities have skyrocketed and unemployment has increased. The protesters are demanding economic reforms as well as political freedoms.  US President Donald Trump warned on Friday that he would not stand by and watch the crackdown on the protesters.  'You better not shoot. Otherwise, we will start shooting,' he said.  The protests have spread from the Kurdish-majority region of Ilam, which borders Iraq, to ​​Tehran and Mashhad in the northeast near the Afghan border, according to American media outlet CNN. According to CNN, people are protesting in more than 100 cities. Some of the protesters are chanting slogans in favor of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.

The Pahlavi dynasty was overthrown in the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. Crown Prince Pahlavi has been in exile in the United States since then. He has recently shown a willingness to take over an interim government. Similarly, he is also urging people to join the movement against the Islamic regime. 

Organized protests are also taking place in Tehran's markets and universities. Although the government has deployed a large number of security personnel, it has not been able to stop the movement. Instead, the protesters have vandalized and set fire to public property. 

How is this movement different?

Inflation has caused a major crisis in Iran. The prices of food and essential items have skyrocketed here. On December 28, businessmen in the old markets of the country closed their shops and started a protest after the price hike was too high.

The movement has become stronger as all sections of society have been involved in it. Photos of protesters clashing with security forces, ignoring batons and tear gas, are circulating on social media.

People in the markets are shouting slogans of ‘freedom’ and are cursing state officials as ‘dishonest’.

Iran is one of the countries with the highest inflation rates in the world. Its economy has been affected by US sanctions, high corruption and a weak presence in the global market. The nuclear agreement signed in Paris in 2015 paved the way for Iran’s easy presence in the international market.

At that time, the Iranian rial was worth 32,000 to the dollar. But in 2018, Donald Trump announced the US withdrawal from it and reimposed harsh sanctions. Since then, Iran’s economy has been in constant crisis. The situation has worsened since the start of the war with Israel last year.

The last time businessmen in Tehran took to the streets on December 28 was due to the economic crisis. Because they could not store or sell goods due to inflation. This further strained the already struggling economy.

The protests have now spread to 27 of the country's 31 provinces. On Tuesday, inflation hit a historic low of 1.47 million Iranian rials, equivalent to 91 US dollars. This has led to an economic crisis and created distrust among the general public and investors.

Although the government has introduced some plans to control the economic situation, the results have been the opposite. This week, the price of cooking oil has almost tripled.

Since the success of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran has repeatedly protested against the repressive nature of the regime. The last time the protests erupted was in 2022, when Mahsa Amini, a young woman arrested for improperly wearing a hijab, died in custody. In this context, women had demanded that the hijab be removed. At that time, the progressive class of society was in agitation.

The movement, which was led by young people, was suppressed by the government after some time. Human rights organizations have reported that more than 550 people were killed in this incident due to the shooting of security personnel. However, the Iranian government has been denying this.