The Media Line: Iran President Says Tehran May Consider ‘Legitimate Concerns’ of Protesters  

Iran President Says Tehran May Consider ‘Legitimate Concerns’ of Protesters  

By The Media Line Staff  

As protests continue in Iran over soaring costs and a plummeting currency, Iran’s president said on social media that he had told the interior minister to consider the “legitimate concerns” of demonstrators.   

Shopkeepers, students and Iranians from all segments of society have taken to the streets as Iran’s rial has lost nearly half its value against the dollar in 2025. Inflation reached 42.5 percent in December, and the country’s economy is reeling from the effect of sanctions.   

President Masoud Pezeshkian indicated on social media Tuesday night that the government would be willing to negotiate with demonstrators.   

The Iranian government said it “recognizes the protests” and would listen “with patience, even if it is confronted with harsh voices”.   

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on state media, “We officially recognize the protests … We hear their voices, and we know that this originates from natural pressure arising from the pressure on people’s livelihoods.”  

Evoking the era before the Iranian Revolution, protesters held signs and chanted slogans that said, “Rest in peace Reza Shah.”   

Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the United States, wrote on X: “I am with you. Victory is ours because our cause is just and because we are united.”   

“As long as this regime remains in power, the country’s economic situation will continue to deteriorate,” he added.   

The semi-official Fars News Agency reported that hundreds of students held protests on Tuesday at four universities in Tehran.   

The BBC has verified videos showing demonstrations in the cities of Karaj, Hamadan, Qeshm, Malard, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Shiraz, and Yazd. In most cases, police were seen using tear gas to disperse the protesters.