By Pishtaz | 2026-01-14

For decades, Iran’s merchant class, particularly the bazaaris, has played a decisive political and social role, often signaling shifts in public approval toward ruling authorities.

Merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and markets nationwide were not only traders but influential social actors embedded in daily life and community trust networks.

Their collective actions helped catalyze the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the monarchy and brought Islamists to power.

In 1978, coordinated strikes and market closures across Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz halted commerce and amplified public anger toward the shah’s regime.

Bazaar networks supported striking workers, students, and detainees’ families through financial aid and community coordination.

Decades later, merchants have again emerged at the center of nationwide unrest, this time directing their anger toward the current regime in Tehran.

During the latest protests, economic grievances reignited their political influence and highlighted eroding confidence in the regime’s economic leadership.

The Iranian rial’s fall to historic lows fueled widespread anger among traders and shopkeepers, and for many families, small shops remain essential sources of survival.

On December 28, shopkeepers at Tehran’s Alaeddin Shopping Centre, Charsou Mall, and nearby markets closed their stores in protest.

Videos of shuttered shops circulated rapidly online, encouraging others to join the demonstrations and signaling widening public disapproval.

Impact of social media

Social media has played a central role in this escalation, expanding ongoing protests to other cities beyond the capital.

Unlike 1979, modern protests no longer rely solely on mosques, bazaars, or word-of-mouth networks.

Digital communication now enables instant coordination across cities and social classes, allowing merchants’ actions to resonate far beyond physical marketplaces.

In cities including Hamedan, Qeshm, and Zanjan, shop owners reportedly closed stores in solidarity.

Chants such as "death to the dictator" and slogans targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei echoed through commercial districts.

The current unrest echoes protest of the past, which intensified after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

Economic toll of war

Beyond political expression, the economic impact on the Iranian public is profound, deeply affecting livelihoods, purchasing power, and confidence in the regime’s future direction.

If the regime ignores merchants’ demands while prioritizing spending on proxies, regional conflicts, or nuclear ambitions, economic pressures will intensify.

Many Iranians fear a broader regional war, as potential confrontation with the United States or Israel recalls sanctions, frozen assets, restricted trade, and capital flight.

Such measures historically destabilized markets and damaged small businesses, intensifying inflation, unemployment, and long-term economic insecurity.

These tensions intensified following the resignation of Iranian Central Bank governor Mohammad Reza Farzin.

Following the announcement by the state television on December 29, hundreds of traders rallied on Saadi Street and in Tehran’s Shush district near the Grand Bazaar.

The protests underscore how economic leadership crises and merchant activism remain tightly linked, with bazaar unrest historically signaling declining public approval of those in power.