Shopkeepers in Tehran extended strikes into a second day on Monday, with closures reported across several key markets amid mounting economic pressure and a sharp fall in the national currency, according to information received by Iran International.
Traders in the historic Chaharsouq bazaar joined the strike, while Tehran’s gold market remained shut and shopkeepers gathered for a protest on Lalehzar Street.
Merchants at other markets, including Jafari bazaar and parts of the Shoush wholesale district, were also reported to have stopped work.
The latest closures follow protests on Sunday by mobile phone traders outside the Iran Mobile Center and the Alaeddin Mobile Shopping Center on Hafez Street in central Tehran. V
ideos sent to Iran International showed crowds chanting antigovernment slogans, with passersby later joining demonstrations near Jomhouri Street.
Reports also circulated on social media of protests at Tehran’s Charsou mall, while iron market traders were said to have closed their shops to protest the currency’s decline.
The unrest comes as Iran’s rial slid to new record lows, weakening to around 1,445,000 per dollar on Sunday, compared with about 1,370,000 the day before and roughly 1,140,000 a month earlier, according to open market rates.
Iran has been grappling with soaring prices and currency volatility. Official data show food prices have risen by more than 66% over the past year, while year-on-year inflation reached 52.6% in December.
There were no immediate reports of security force intervention on Monday.
