Iran's capital has been racked by protests this week over a plunge in the value of the country's currency, the rial. Crowds at one point shut down Tehran's sprawling Grand Bazaar, an economic center and a place where the 1979 revolution gained footing.

Protesters called for shop owners to close their businesses as the demonstrations ramped up on Monday. They marched to the gates of Iran's parliament, and police tried to quell them with what multiple news outlets said appeared to be tear gas. Videos purportedly showing clashes between security forces and protesters were put up online Tuesday. BBC Persian posted footage of people running as security forces approached.

The rial has fallen to a new low — 90,000 against the U.S. dollar on the country's black market, Iranian media said, despite government efforts to control the currency rate. The official exchange rate is about 42,000 rials to the dollar.

Anti-government demonstrations driven by economic troubles erupted across the country last December and January. But they didn't gain traction in Tehran. This week's demonstrations in the capital were the biggest in years, multiple media outlets have reported.

https://www.npr.org/2018/06/26/623522943/in-tehran-economic-protests-flare-as-irans-currency-plunges