Iran's government offers dialogue to protesters

Iran's government said on Tuesday (December 30) it would seek dialogue with protest leaders after demonstrations in Tehran and other cities over a plunge in the currency's value that has accelerated inflation, with the central bank chief resigning.

Protests, which included shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, were held on Sunday (December 28) and Monday (December 29) according to Iranian state media, the latest demonstrations in the Islamic Republic where bouts of unrest have repeatedly erupted in recent years.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post late on Monday that he had asked the interior minister to listen to "legitimate demands" of protesters. Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said a dialogue mechanism would be set up and include talks with protest leaders.

The Iranian rial has been falling as the economy has suffered from the impact of Western sanctions, sinking to a record low on Monday at around 1,390,000 to the U.S. dollar, according to websites monitoring open market rates.

Production: Anita Kobyloinska, Bahareh Khodabandeh/Reuters