Hussain Hazbavi 
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday issued his first official response to the growing wave of protests sparked by worsening economic conditions, saying he has instructed the interior minister to engage directly with demonstrators.
In a statement posted on X, Pezeshkian said he ordered Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi to “listen to the legitimate demands of protesters” and to help the government “respond responsibly.” He added that improving living conditions remains his “daily concern,” pointing to planned reforms in the banking and monetary system.
However, it remains unclear how the proposed dialogue would be conducted — or whether it can contain protests that are rapidly taking on a more political character.
The unrest initially erupted over the sharp rise in the US dollar and the accelerating collapse of the rial but has since widened. On Monday, strikes and demonstrations spread across multiple provinces, with clashes reported in several cities as nighttime crowds chanted against the ruling system and bazaar merchants vowed to continue their shutdowns.
In Tehran, large sections of the Grand Bazaar were shuttered, while confrontations were reported in central districts. While the first day of protests focused largely on economic grievances, chants on the second day reflected a clear shift toward open political dissent.
In several cities, demonstrators targeted Iran’s top leadership, shouting slogans such as “death to the dictator” and “Seyyed Ali will be toppled this year.”
The unrest has been fueled by a deepening currency crisis that pushed the US dollar to around 144,000 tomans over the weekend. Amid the turmoil, the head of Iran’s central bank resigned, and Pezeshkian appointed former bank chief Abdolnaser Hemmati in a move widely seen as an attempt to calm markets.
