Protests in Iran have intensified, with demonstrators attacking a government building in Fasa on December 31 amid widespread dissatisfaction over economic stagnation. The government’s response includes offering £5 monthly coupons to offset the impact of subsidy cuts, but experts warn this will do little to alleviate the financial burdens on citizens, whose living costs exceed £150 monthly. As the unrest spreads across 107 cities, security forces have resorted to violence, resulting in at least 19 deaths and nearly 1,000 arrests. Iran’s leadership is determined to suppress the protests while portraying them as foreign-instigated unrest.
