European Union Monitors Iran amid Mass Protests

Protest in Iran/PHOTO: Sajjad Vesagh/MEHR News Agency via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - The Central European Union is monitoring the development of the situation in Iran, where mass protests accompanied by violence have continued since last month.

"We are closely monitoring the situation in Iran, including the latest developments in the country's southwest region. We express concern over the increasing number of deaths and injuries, and reject all forms of violence against peaceful demonstrators," said European Commission Spokesperson Anouar El Anouni, reported by ANTARA from Sputnik, Friday, January 9.

Protests in Iran began to spread in late December as the value of the national currency, the Iranian rial, weakened. The demonstrators protested against the sharp volatility of the exchange rate, which directly impacted the rise in prices at the wholesale and retail/retail levels.

Previously, Iranian media reported damage to private and state-owned properties in Tehran as a result of the protesters' actions.

The mayor of Tehran Alireza Zakani also mentioned attacks on security facilities on January 8, burning of buses and fire trucks, and attacks on banks.

Meanwhile, Iranian state television reported casualties in the incident, but did not specify which party was the victim.

Iran is currently facing heavy economic pressure with high inflation rates. The Central Bank of Iran recorded an annual inflation rate of 38.9 percent.

The exchange rate of the US dollar in the unofficial market, which was before the withdrawal of the United States from the nuclear deal in May 2018, was in the range of 50,000 rials, now soaring to around 1.4 million rials per US dollar in the open market.