Iran has announced a nationwide cash distribution programme worth roughly £5 a month per person, covering almost the entire population, in an effort to ease mounting protests driven by a deepening economic crisis.
Authorities launched the so-called “economic relief” plan on Sunday, January 4th, pledging to transfer 10 million rials in vouchers to around 80 million citizens over four months. The amount is equivalent to the average daily wage in Iran and represents one of the largest money distribution schemes in the Islamic Republic’s history.
President Masoud Pezeshkian unveiled the measures at a meeting with cabinet members and provincial governors, promising that any price rises would be fully compensated to protect household purchasing power. He also struck an unusually conciliatory tone, stressing the need for direct engagement with citizens and admitting that “society cannot be appeased or calmed through coercion.”
The move follows a rare intervention by supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who acknowledged that protesters have legitimate economic grievances while warning that “rioters must be put in their place.” The combination of financial concessions and dialogue suggests the leadership views the unrest as a serious threat, particularly after a year marked by regional setbacks.
Citizen journalists have reported on massive protest unfolding in various Iranian cities including in Sonqor and Kolyai in Kermanshah province.
At least 12 people, including members of the security forces, have been killed since demonstrations began on December 28-29, initially over economic conditions but now openly targeting the regime. Protests have spread to 23 of Iran’s 31 provinces, with chants of “death to the dictator” heard within walking distance of Khamenei’s office in central Tehran.
