Iran’s largest protests in three years broke out after the rial plunged to a record low against the U.S. dollar and Central Bank chief Mohammad Reza Farzin resigned.

Demonstrations spread across Tehran and several major cities, with traders closing shops and police using tear gas in some areas.

The unrest is the most significant since the 2022 protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, reflecting growing public anger over economic hardship.

Runaway inflation, soaring food and medical costs, fears of tax increases, and renewed sanctions have intensified pressure on households and markets, the AP has reported.

Currency instability has been fueled by the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal, fresh UN sanctions, and concerns about renewed regional conflict involving Iran, Israel, and possibly the United States.