Iranian Security Forces Use Tear Gas on Tehran Bazaar Protesters – Rights Groups

Iranian security forces fired tear gas on Tuesday to disperse protesters at the Tehran bazaar, according to rights groups and social media footage, as demonstrators chanted slogans against the clerical authorities.

The protests mark the most serious unrest since the 2022–2023 nationwide rallies sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women.

This latest wave of demonstrations, which began on December 28, was triggered by rising living costs. Merchants in the Tehran bazaar, a national economic hub, initiated a shutdown that has since spread to other areas, particularly in the west, home to Kurdish and Lor minority communities.

Iran’s Fars news agency reported “sporadic gatherings” around the bazaar, with police dispersing demonstrators into nearby alleyways. Certain sections of the bazaar, including the gold market, were closed from noon in protest against foreign exchange volatility and rising prices.

Verified social media footage showed protesters shouting slogans such as “Pahlavi will return” and “Seyyed Ali will be overthrown”, referencing the monarchy ousted in the 1979 Islamic Revolution and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, respectively. Dozens were also heard chanting “freedom” and “shameless”, according to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA).

Security forces responded by firing tear gas, forcing protesters to scatter as acrid smoke filled the area.

The demonstrations, now in their 10th day, have not yet reached the scale of the 2022–2023 protests or the 2009 mass protests following disputed elections. However, amid ongoing economic crises and following the 12-day conflict with Israel in June, the unrest presents a renewed challenge for 86-year-old Khamenei, who has been in power since 1989.

The government of President Masoud Pezeshkian has introduced modest monthly payments to ease economic hardship, but the judiciary warned on Monday that there would be “no leniency” for rioters.

Official Iranian media report at least 12 deaths since the protests began, including security personnel, though NGOs outside the country suggest the toll may be higher.

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