Pezeshkian Calls on Government to Address Protesters' 'Legitimate Demands'

Iran's president called on his government to address the "legitimate demands" of protesters, according to state media on Tuesday, following several days of demonstrations by shopkeepers in Tehran over economic difficulties.

Shopkeepers in the capital had shut their stores for the second day in a row on Monday, after Iran's embattled currency hit new lows on the unofficial market, The Caspian Post reports, citing foreign media.

The US dollar was trading at around 1.42 million rials on Sunday - compared to 820,000 rials a year ago - and the euro nearing 1.7 million rials, according to price monitoring websites.

"I have asked the Interior Minister to listen to the legitimate demands of the protesters by engaging in dialogue with their representatives so that the government can do everything in its power to resolve the problems and act responsibly," President Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

Protesters "are demanding immediate government intervention to rein in exchange-rate fluctuations and set out a clear economic strategy", the pro-labour news agency ILNA reported on Monday.

Price fluctuations are paralysing the sales of some imported goods, with both sellers and buyers preferring to postpone transactions until the outlook becomes clearer, AFP correspondents noted.

"Continuing to do business under these conditions has become impossible," ILNA quoted protesters as saying.

The conservative-aligned Fars news agency released images showing a crowd of demonstrators occupying a major thoroughfare in central Tehran, known for its many shops.

Another photograph appeared to show tear gas being used to disperse protesters.

"Minor physical clashes were reported... between some protesters and the security forces," Fars said, warning that such gatherings could lead to instability.