In some regions, including on Tehran’s Jomhuri Street, protesters were recorded successfully pushing back authorities, forcing regime police to retreat.

Islamic Republic regime authorities have begun cracking down on protests across Iran, with footage revealing tens of people being detained and tear gas being dispersed in the crowded streets.

The political editor of Iran’s Etemad newspaper, Mehdi Biek, was among those detained by the regime authorities as he covered the protests. His wife complained online that she had not heard from him for more than 24 hours, until his release on Tuesday.

Footage shared by BBC Persian confirmed that at least 11 individuals were arrested on Sabunian Street in Tehran.

In the city of Kermanshah, authorities were recorded launching tear gas towards large gatherings as crowds shouted “shame, shame!”

In some regions, including on Tehran’s Jomhuri Street, protesters were recorded successfully pushing back authorities, forcing regime police to retreat.

While the dissent began over the rapidly falling value of the rial, the outbreak has allowed protesters to voice dissatisfaction with the regime’s policy. On Mulla Sadra Street in Tehran, protesters were recorded chanting the slogan "Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, I will sacrifice my life for Iran," according to videos shared by dissident media.

Iranian dissident journalist Masih Alinejad, who was the target of a failed regime assassination plot, wrote, “What we are witnessing in Iran right now is not an isolated economic protest. It is another deep and serious challenge to the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic.

“Yes, the immediate trigger is economic collapse. Iran’s currency has lost nearly 90 percent of its value since 2018. When money collapses, lies collapse too.”

Outrage in Iran over falling rial and political issues

The currency fell to 1.4 million rials per US dollar on Tuesday, according to private exchange platforms, a record low after starting the year at 817,500 rials per US dollar.

The protests are the largest seen across Iran since the regime murdered 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in custody after she was detained for wearing a head covering incorrectly.

Rising inflation, the fall of the rial, Tehran’s policy of funding terror groups over domestic issues, and the growing severity of the country’s water crisis have sown seeds of unrest, as noted in a CNN analysis by Mostafa Salem.

While on Monday, authorities attempted to shift blame for theunrest to enemy nations, the regime has redirected its strategy with protesters, according to Reuters.

“The livelihood of the people is my daily concern. We have fundamental actions on the agenda to reform the monetary and banking system and preserve the purchasing power of the people,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated. “I have tasked the Minister of the Interior to hear the legitimate demands of the protesters through dialogue with their representatives, so that the government can act with all its might to resolve problems and respond responsibly.”

Following the public decree, a spokesman for Iran’s Budget Consolidation Commission confirmed that government salaries would rise by 30% next year, rather than the 20% originally planned.

Some members of the regime government have also resigned, citing the unrest. Massoud Pezzekian, a member of the information council, told Khabar Online, "I don't want to make a public gesture, but in the face of the widespread criticism I have been hearing from people in the streets and markets in recent days and months, I cannot defend the government."

Iran abuses student protesters

While Tehran has appeared to take a more understanding approach to the mass outrage, the response at the country’s universities has appeared notably more violent. Iran International reported a student was severely injured and transferred to the hospital after the IRGC's Basij paramilitary forces attacked a gathering of students near Tehran's Amirkabir University.

Mobin Aminian, an undergraduate student in chemical engineering; Shahin Shokouhi, a PhD student in sociology; Aref Hadi-Nejad, an undergraduate student in philosophy; and Mani Eidi, an undergraduate student in philosophy, were also reported to have been arrested on campus in downtown Tehran.