Traditional bazaar merchants in Iran, historically a supportive pillar of the government, have begun protesting against deteriorating economic conditions. The unrest is driven by state favoritism towards large religious-revolutionary foundations and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has eroded the merchants’ economic standing. Chronic inflation and sanctions management have further widened the gap between the state-connected elite and independent business owners. These protests signal a deepening fracture caused by systemic economic inequality and mismanagement.
Date: January 10, 2026. Source: aljazeera.com