Overview
- Merchants staged a third day of walkouts in Tehran with tear gas used by riot police and reports of minor scuffles.
- Demonstrations spread beyond the capital to cities including Malard, Karaj, Kerman, Zanjan, Hamadan and Qeshm, with student rallies in major Tehran universities and reports of protests in Isfahan.
- President Masoud Pezeshkian directed officials to hear protesters’ “legitimate demands,” as the government formally recognized the unrest and set up a dialogue mechanism.
- The presidency announced Abdolnasser Hemmati will lead the Central Bank, with emergency steps signaled such as a subsidized food basket and a food bonus to cushion living costs.
- The rial hit a record low above 1.4 million per dollar on the informal market as official data showed 52% annual inflation, and authorities ordered schools, banks and public offices closed on Wednesday citing cold weather and energy savings.