Content warning: This story mentions violence and assault.
Iran has been experiencing nationwide protests since late December 2025. Cities across the country have seen demonstrations and confrontations with security forces. While the situation has made international headlines, many people still don’t entirely understand why it began, how it escalated, and why it has continued into 2026.
At the core of these protests is economic pressure driven largely by international sanctions. The sanctions placed on Iran have limited the country’s ability to trade, access foreign currency and stabilize its economy. Over time, this has caused the Iranian rial to lose much of its value. As a result, prices for food, fuel and basic necessities have risen sharply, making daily life harder for many families.
For years, people have been trying to adjust to rising costs and limited job opportunities. By late December, that pressure reached a breaking point. When the government raised prices on gasoline and other essentials, it pushed many people past what they could manage.Â
Shops in Tehran began closing in protest, and other workers and residents soon joined demonstrations on the streets. What began as protests over economic conditions quickly grew into something broader. People were no longer only reacting to prices, but to the way decisions were being made and how little control they felt over their own futures.
As protests spread, the government responded with heavy force. Security forces used water cannons, tear gas, metal pellets and rifles against protestors. Many of those involved were unarmed and peaceful. Reports of beatings and mass arrests began to surface, and the response itself became a major reason the protests continued and expanded.
In early January, authorities also shut down the internet and phone networks across much of the country. Starting Jan. 8, access to platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp and X was heavily restricted or completely blocked.Â
This has made it extremely difficult for people inside Iran to communicate with one another and share information with the outside world. The blackout has also made it difficult to verify what is happening on the ground, leaving global audiences unsure of the details of the situation.
Due to these restrictions, the exact number of people killed or arrested remains unclear, though rights groups such as Amnesty International have described the deadly crackdown as a massacre.
Independent groups that track the situation estimate that thousands have been killed and many more detained. Some details only became known when limited internet access returned in parts of the country. United Nations member countries have called for an emergency session on Iran’s human rights situation amid reports of growing violence and loss of life.
International reactions have added another layer to the crisis. U.S. President Donald Trump encouraged Iranians to protest and reassured them that “help is on its way,” comments that later drew backlash as reports of deaths increased.
One point that often gets misunderstood outside of Iran is why the protests have gone beyond economic issues and into deeper political anger. Many people in Iran have long-running frustrations with how the government handles daily life and political power. This means protests have become not just about money and prices, but also about how people feel about their future and how the country is governed.
Many people also simplify this crisis and assume it is caused by religion itself, simply because Iran is called an Islamic Republic. That assumption misses an important distinction. The protests are not about religion as a belief system. Instead, they are about how the government uses religion to justify strict control over people’s lives and power. Many faith-practicing Iranians do not agree with or support these policies, and the protests come from everyday struggles and political frustration, not a matter of religion itself.
This moment in Iran is serious and ongoing. People are living it every day, even if headlines move on quickly. Simple coverage often misses the deeper reasons behind the protests and the real challenges people are facing. Looking past the short news grabs helps provide the full picture of what many Iranians are up against right now.