Over the last 50 years Iran has experienced repeated waves of protest driven by political repression, economic hardship and social grievances. Major episodes include the 1979 Islamic Revolution, student unrest in 1999, the 2009 Green Movement, economic protests in 2017–2019, the 2022 protests after Mahsa Amini's death, and 2024–2025 demonstrations tied to a rial collapse. Each wave prompted large-scale arrests, reported casualties and long-term societal impact.
50 Years of Protests in Iran: A Timeline of Major Uprisings (1979–2025)
FILE - In this Oct. 9, 1978 file photo, Iranian protesters demonstrate against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in Tehran, Iran. (AP Photo, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Over the past half-century, Iran has seen recurring waves of protests driven by political demands, economic distress and social grievances. Each episode reflected distinct triggers — from calls for democratic freedoms to outrage over state violence and economic collapse — and left long-term political and social consequences.
1979 Islamic Revolution
In the months before the 1979 revolution, students, oil workers and other groups staged widespread protests demanding greater political freedom and an end to autocratic rule. Mounting pressure contributed to the departure of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In February 1979 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile and helped establish a theocratic state based on Twelver Shi'a principles with tight clerical control. The early years of the new regime saw mass trials and executions, and the Iran–Iraq war in the 1980s, together with domestic crackdowns, suppressed large-scale public demonstrations for years.
FILE - In this July 12, 1999 file photo, an unidentified student at a rally in Tehran, Iran, holds up the bloody T-shirt of a friend who was injured sometime in the last few days during clashes between police and student demonstrators. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
1999 Student Protests
In July 1999, students at Tehran University protested after revelations about a series of killings of dissidents and intellectuals, known as the "chain murders." A forceful security crackdown on the campus sparked larger demonstrations across the country. At least three people were killed and roughly 1,200 people detained during the unrest.
2009 Green Movement
Following the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009, Iran's reformist opposition alleged widespread ballot fraud. Millions of people marched in cities nationwide in what became known as the "Green Movement." Security forces responded with a harsh crackdown: dozens were killed and thousands arrested, according to rights groups and independent reports.
FILE - An Iranian female opposition supporter reacts as she attends a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Sept. 18, 2009, in competition with government-sponsored mass rallies to mark an annual anti-Israel commemoration, the Quds Day that reflects the Persian nation's sympathy with the Palestinians. (AP Photo, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
2017–2018 Protests
A wave of demonstrations beginning in late 2017 spread from Mashhad to dozens of cities, fueled primarily by economic grievances such as rising food prices and planned reductions to cash subsidies for low-income families. The unrest left more than 20 people dead and hundreds detained as security forces moved to suppress the protests.
2019 Gasoline Protests
An abrupt increase in subsidized gasoline prices in November 2019 touched off some of the most intense unrest in recent years. Protests erupted across the country; some gas stations, banks and shops were set on fire. Authorities restricted internet access during the unrest, and rights groups reported that over 300 people were killed in the subsequent crackdown.
FILE - Iranians protest a 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini's death after she was detained by the morality police, in Tehran, Sept. 20, 2022, in this photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran. (AP Photo/ File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
2022 Mahsa Amini Protests
In September 2022 the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the morality police for alleged hijab violations ignited nationwide demonstrations. UN investigators and human rights organizations raised serious concerns about the use of force and concluded that her death involved physical violence that warranted accountability. The security response lasted months; estimates by rights groups put the death toll in the hundreds and detentions in the tens of thousands, while protests prompted a widespread, sustained challenge to compulsory dress codes and other social restrictions.
2024–2025 Rial Protests
After tighter international sanctions and the economic fallout from a brief regional conflict, Iran's currency, the rial, plunged dramatically in 2024–2025, reportedly trading near 1.4 million to the US dollar at one point. The sudden collapse in purchasing power and rising prices triggered fresh demonstrations as Iranians protested growing economic hardship and government policies perceived as ineffective or unjust.
Looking Ahead: Across five decades, Iran's protest cycles have reflected deep and recurring tensions between state authority and popular demands for rights, economic stability and social freedoms. The scale and consequences of each uprising have varied, but together they have continually shaped Iran's politics and society.
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