As religious elites and Revolutionary Guards strengthen their hold on the economy, experts question how long the regime can survive.

The United States and Iran are engaged in increasingly hostile rhetoric as US warships move into the Arabian Sea, despite regional nations seeking a diplomatic solution to prevent a military flare-up. US President Donald Trump warned this week that “ time is running out ” for Iran to return to talks to reach a new deal on its nuclear programme.

Iran’s currency, the rial, falls to 1.5 million to $1, a record low after nationwide protests sparked by economic woes

Iran's currency dropped to a record low of 1,500,000 rials to the U.S. dollar on Tuesday, according to Iranian currency tracking websites, weeks after protests sparked by the rial's dwindling value rocked the country.

A deadly crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran, coupled with economic collapse, has prompted a major U.S. military deployment to the Middle East, raising fears of a possible strike even as diplomatic signals persist.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, attending a federal Senate hearing on the 28th, commented on anti-government protests in Iran, stating, “The Iranian regime is in its most vulnerable state to date,” and added,

Iran’s complete internet blackout is costing the already economically crippled country as much as $37 million a day, according to an analysis. NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group analyzing the effects of the blanket shutdown,

Iran has long been mired in an economic crisis that is part of a wider systemic failure. Do the protests show a way out?

By late December, everything from chicken to medicines was becoming unaffordable for many Iranians as the value of the rial plummeted.