What’s New About This Wave of Protests in Iran

UANI Senior Advisor Saeid Golkar and Policy Director Jason Brodsky write: In the last few days of December 2025, during the month of Dey in the Persian calendar, and into the new year, Iran once again witnessed widespread protests. What began in Tehran’s bazaar quickly spread to other major cities and universities, marking the most significant unrest since the 2022 uprising following the death of Mahsa Amini. The immediate trigger is economic collapse. The Iranian currency fell to nearly 1.4 million rial per dollar, inflation surpassed 52 percent, and the cost of basic goods rose beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. Can this wave of protests, like the 2022 movement, evolve into a sustained national challenge to the Islamic Republic? And what are the similarities and differences between the Woman, Life, Freedom movement and this moment?