TEHRAN: Some shopkeepers in Tehran shut their stores for the second day in a row on Monday in protest against economic hardships and sharp swi­ngs in Iran’s embattled cur­r­ency, media reports said.

The rial has hit new lows on the unofficial market, with the US dollar trading at around 1.42 million rials on Sunday — compared to 820,000 rials a year ago — and the euro nearing 1.7 million rials, according to price monitoring websites.

The rates eased somewhat on Monday, with the dollar at around 1.39 million rials and the euro at about 1.64 million rials.

A journalist from the pro-labour news agency ILNA reported “demons­tra­tions” at several baza­ars in the centre of the capi­tal on Monday, the agency said.

It said protesters “are demanding immediate government intervention to rein in exchange-rate fluctuations and set out a clear economic strategy”.

Price fluctuations are paralysing the sales of some imported goods, with both sellers and buyers preferring to postpone transactions until the outlook becomes clearer, a correspondent noted.

“Continuing to do business under these conditions has become impossible,” ILNA quoted protesters as saying.

State news agency IRNA reported: “Many shopke­epers preferred to suspend sales to prevent pote­ntial losses.” It added that some protesters on Monday “chanted slogans”.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2025