Media: Protesters burn Quran, attempt mosque attack in western Iran

In the city of Hamadan, western Iran, protesters set fire to a Quran and attempted to attack a mosque.

The demonstrators burned religious texts in the Sadaf district and tried to storm the mosque, but their actions were stopped, Iranian news agency Tasnim reports.

About 20 individuals were involved in the attempted attack, according to the agency.

The protests erupted in late December following the devaluation of the national currency, the rial, which fuelled economic hardship and growing public discontent.

Widespread protests erupted in Iran in late December 2025 after the Iranian rial plunged to historic lows against the US dollar, sharply increasing the cost of living and hitting merchants, traders and ordinary citizens with soaring prices for basic goods.

The rapid depreciation of the rial and inflation above 40 % strained household budgets and halted retail activity in major commercial hubs like Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, prompting shop closures and demonstrations by traders and shopkeepers.

Analysts say this economic turmoil stems from long‑standing structural weaknesses, high inflation, and the impact of Western sanctions, which have compounded public dissatisfaction and triggered one of the largest waves of unrest in Iran in years.

Government leaders responded by reshuffling economic leadership and offering dialogue, acknowledging the crisis while trying to contain the unrest as protests spread beyond economic demands to include broader discontent.

By Jeyhun Aghazada