WANA (Jan 06) – Reports from central Tehran indicate that protests took place in the Tehran Grand Bazaar area, primarily focused on high prices and market instability, with political slogans largely absent.
Due to the presence of pedestrians and crowded conditions, it was not possible to separate protesters from bystanders to estimate the exact number of participants. However, a reporter at the scene stated that around 150 people gathered on Naser Khosrow Street in the Bazaar, chanting slogans. The protest dispersed, and participants scattered into nearby alleys following the arrival of police forces.
The demonstration began at Jafari Bazaar and Shirazi Passage, moving along the main bazaar avenue while chanting economic slogans.
Smaller gatherings of merchants were also reported on Saadi Street, Lalehzar, and the Tehran Ironworkers’ Bazaar, but these were dispersed by police without further escalation.
Since midday, several market sections, including 15 Khordad Street, the Gold Bazaar, and Naser Khosrow Street in the Grand Bazaar, were closed in protest of rising currency prices and lack of market stability.
Reports indicate that despite expressing dissatisfaction with the economic situation and rising prices, the public did not join street unrest or support chaos.
A number of Iranian celebrities, including Homayoun Shajarian, Reza Kianian, and Alireza Ghorbani, expressed support for the protests starting yesterday. Homayoun Shajarian and Alireza Ghorbani canceled their concerts in solidarity with the demonstrators.
Iranian government authorities stated that, with new economic measures and alternative solutions being implemented, it is expected that within the next two months these measures will be fully operational, significantly mitigating the damaging effects of hostile economic actions.
People walk past closed shops following protests over a plunge in the currency’s value, in the Tehran Grand Bazaar in Tehran, Iran, December 30, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)