AFP, Paris

Iranian security forces yesterday fired tear gas to disperse protesters at the Tehran bazaar who were chanting slogans against the clerical authorities, according to rights groups and images posted on social media.

The Islamic republic is facing its most serious wave of protests since the 2022-2023 nationwide rallies sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women.

The current protests were triggered by anger over the rising cost of living, and began on December 28 with a shutdown by merchants in the Tehran bazaar, a national economic hub. They have since spread to other areas, especially the west, which is home to Kurdish and Lor minority groups.

Iran’s Fars news agency said “sporadic gatherings” took place around the bazaar, with police dispersing the protest and demonstrators scattering into the alleyways nearby.

Fars said parts of the bazaar, including the gold market, had been closed from noon in a “protest against rising foreign exchange rates and price instability”.