The Daily Iran on the Brink
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Jan 14, 2026 
Farnaz Fassihi, the United Nations bureau chief for The New York Times and a veteran Iran correspondent, sheds light on the recent explosive protests in Iran. She explains how economic collapse and deep-seated social frustrations have united diverse demographics in the fight against authoritarian rule. Farnaz discusses the government's harsh crackdown, the public's demands for freedom, and the implications of external pressures. With protests escalating, she assesses the potential for change and the resilience of those risking everything for a better future.
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Economic Collapse Sparked The Unrest
- Iran's sharp currency plunge and 60% inflation triggered immediate hardship by tripling staple food prices.
- Fassihi links the December currency crash to the protests that began in Tehran's bazaar and then spread nationwide.
Bazaar Strike Paralyzed Commerce
- Bazaaris went on strike because volatile currency rates forced them to change prices hour to hour.
- Fassihi explains the bazaar's strike paralyzed commerce and pushed people into the streets.
Generational Disconnect With Clerical Rule
- Iranian society is far less religious and ideologically anti-Western than the clerical rulers expect.
- Young Iranians want social freedoms and economic prosperity and compare themselves to peers abroad, Fassihi says.