True or False: The merchants of Tehran's Grand Bazaar, who were instrumental in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, were among the first groups to protest in December 2025.

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True. Traders and shopkeepers in Saadi Street and near the Grand Bazaar rallied on December 28, 2025, as the rial collapsed. This is historically significant: Bazaar merchants helped bring down the shah in 1979 through strikes and protests. Their participation now signals the regime has lost a key constituency. Merchants have economic clout—they can shut down commerce and withhold tax revenue. Their anger over currency collapse shows that economic legitimacy matters even to traditional, non-revolutionary actors. When the Bazaar turns against you in Iran, the regime's survival is in question.

True or False: The merchants of Tehran's Grand Bazaar, who were instrumental in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, were among the first groups to protest in December 2025.

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