Clashes broke out between Iranian security forces and protesters in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar

Iranian security forces have clashed with protesters in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, firing tear gas and evicting protesters as nationwide protests swelled into a tenth day.

Tuesday’s violence at the site, which carries historical symbolism as an activist center during the country’s 1979 revolution, came as rights groups accused authorities of cracking down on protesters.

At least 35 people have died and security forces have arrested more than 1,200 in clashes surrounding protests over the state of the economy and rising prices, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA).

In one instance, in Ilam province, southwest of Tehran, video showed security forces in riot gear streaming into a hospital in search of protesters.

Despite the violence, the demonstrations show no sign of slowing down, with demonstrations in at least 257 locations in 88 cities across the country, according to HRNA data.

Iran’s president, Masoud Pezhekian, told protesters on Tuesday that much of the economic situation was out of the government’s hands, warning that any intervention could worsen already spiraling inflation.

“The government basically doesn’t have that power. Even if it wanted to do it, it would be forced to print money and put enormous pressure on the lower levels of society. The country’s income is fixed and our resources are not unlimited,” Pezheskian said in a speech on Tuesday.

Declining purchasing power that first sparked protests continues to wane, with the Iranian rial falling to a historic low of 1.46 million against the US dollar. The currency has lost about two-thirds of its value over the past three years and has nosedived in recent months.

Iran’s central bank has said it will halt a program that gives businesses a preferential exchange rate to the dollar as the currency depreciates – a move likely to lead to further price hikes and shortages for consumers.

The end of the subsidized exchange could exacerbate shortages in Iranian grocers. Iran’s state news agency said the average price of a bottle of cooking oil has recently doubled, while other goods are simply unavailable as traders stockpile products in anticipation of further inflation.

Pegesian blamed the worsening economic situation on sanctions, saying the government may have to tighten its belt, saying “oil is embargoed and sources of income are limited”.

The President said that the government will investigate the allegations of violence by security personnel against protesters in Ilam province. He also referred to the “incident at the hospital in Ilam city”, referring to footage of officers raiding the hospital there.

The videos were directly referenced by the US State Department, which said “beating medical staff and attacking the wounded with tear gas and ammunition is a clear crime against humanity”, in a post on X from its Persian-language account.

The Iranian government has been careful to offer dialogue, with widespread crackdowns on protesters and seemingly slow, arrests by security forces and the occasional use of violence against protesters.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that the protesters’ demands were justified but that rioters among the protesters “must be put in their place”. The state-affiliated Fars news agency said 250 police officers and 45 members of the Basij force, a volunteer paramilitary force, were injured in the protests.

Donald Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran if the government kills protesters, a comment that drew angry warnings from top Iranian officials. The American threat gained more weight after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was arrested by the US military on Saturday and brought to New York.