Continued Protests in Isfahan

Several reports on social media indicate that protests by the people of Isfahan, particularly in the Shapur area, continued on Wednesday due to the country's economic mismanagement. Some reports also mention the police's use of tear gas and paintball bullets against the protesters. Slogans heard in these videos include 'Khamenei, have some shame, leave the country' and 'The silence of every Iranian is a betrayal to Iran.' According to reports, the focus of these protests has been on New Shapur Street in Isfahan, where the slogan 'Shapouri with dignity, support support' was also heard. Videos sent from the protests in Isfahan show scenes of multiple tire fires. The widespread presence of security forces is also evident in the images sent from Isfahan. The disordered economic situation and market fluctuations in recent weeks have led to numerous protests across Iran. Hamidreza Tabatabai, the political-security deputy of the Isfahan governor, stated in an interview with Mehr News Agency on Wednesday regarding the gatherings on Tuesday and Wednesday in some areas of Isfahan: 'We had limited gatherings in Isfahan yesterday and today in a professional manner, motivated by recent price increases.' He added, 'We declare that we had no permits for the gatherings and we do not grant permits for such gatherings.' The political-security deputy confirmed the political nature of the slogans in these protests, stating, 'Some individuals intended to exploit these professional demands to give them a political dimension.' Hamidreza Tabatabai commented that 'foreign hands are trying to provoke the people in this regard.' He emphasized, 'The people's demands have been communicated to the capital, and the government is managing the affairs.' IRNA also reported that 'a group of merchants and industrialists from the Amir Kabir industrial town in Isfahan gathered for the second consecutive day on Wednesday in Shapur Street in the northern part of this metropolis to demand solutions to their professional problems.' According to IRNA, 'This gathering began after noon and ended after a few minutes with the presence of security forces, and the protesters dispersed.' Protests on Tuesday in Isfahan and Karaj Reports and images published on social media indicate that protests were held on Tuesday, August 9, in Gohardasht Karaj and Isfahan in response to economic mismanagement, including unemployment, inflation, and rising prices. Images and videos shared on social media show that protests in Gohardasht Karaj continued until the evening of Tuesday, with security forces and riot police attempting to disperse the protesters. In one of the images published from Gohardasht Karaj, the protesting crowd chants: 'Inflation, inflation / a plague on the people.' In another video, it is reported that security forces used tear gas to disperse the protesters in Gohardasht Karaj. Previously, there were also reports regarding the strike of shopkeepers and merchants in the New Shapur area of Isfahan. Video images indicate that protesters in Isfahan chant slogans such as 'Leave Syria, think about us,' 'Reza Shah, may your soul rest,' and 'Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life is for Iran.' According to published reports, the protests in Isfahan occurred with the presence of police but without clashes. The new wave of protests in Iran began following the collapse of the rial's value, Iran's national currency, against foreign currencies and the unprecedented rise in gold prices in Iranian markets. The price of the US dollar in Tehran's unofficial market approached 11,000 tomans earlier this week, and reports indicated a security atmosphere in currency and coin trading areas in Tehran on Tuesday. The renewed surge in currency and gold prices in Iran began last week, with the US dollar reaching a historic high of 10,000 tomans for the first time on Sunday. However, reports indicate that shopkeepers and merchants in Tehran and several other cities in Iran have closed their shops due to severe fluctuations in the value of the rial.