US Sanctions Have Severely Impacted Iranian Citizens, Trump Says

US Sanctions on Iran Have Contributed to Economic Crisis, Protests Erupt in Country

Demonstrators have taken to the streets in Iran, sparking widespread protests that began late last month. The unrest has been fueled by a sharp decline in the value of the country’s currency against the US dollar, with prices for food and other essentials rising sharply.

According to reports, the protests started at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on December 28, 2025, after the rial plummeted to a record low. Shopkeepers shut down their businesses to protest rising prices in Iran. The situation has since spread to other provinces, with protesters demanding change and challenging the country’s leadership.

The economic crisis in Iran is attributed to decades of US-led sanctions, which have had a significant impact on the country’s economy. These sanctions were imposed in 1979, following the Iranian Revolution, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to power after 14 years of exile. The US first imposed sanctions on Iran in November 1979, after Iranian students stormed its embassy in Tehran and took American hostages.

Since then, the US has continued to impose various forms of sanctions on Iran, including restrictions on trade and investment. In 1995, President Bill Clinton issued executive orders preventing US companies from investing in Iranian oil and gas, and trading with the country. The European Union also followed suit, imposing its own set of sanctions.

In 2015, Iran signed a nuclear deal with the US, EU, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom, which aimed to curb Iran’s growing nuclear capacity. However, the sanctions imposed by the US have had a lasting impact on the country’s economy, contributing to its current economic crisis.

The protests in Iran are ongoing, with demonstrators demanding change and an end to what they see as economic hardship caused by the sanctions. The situation remains fluid, with no clear resolution in sight.

Source: Al Jazeera