Protesters have shut down major cities in Iran for most of this week, angry about the country's economy and alleged corruption and mismanagement from its theocratic government.
The protests began when merchants in the capital, Tehran, shut their shops in response to a currency crash, with the Iranian rial sinking to a record low against the US dollar on December 29.
They have since spread across other demographics and cities, with people demanding Iran's leaders end the country's clerical rule and hold free elections.
Several people have been killed in the unrest, including three protesters in an attack on a police station in the province of Lorestan, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
Authorities have also confirmed one death in the western city of Kuhdasht, and rights group Hengaw reported another death in the central province of Isfahan.
"These protests are a hunger revolution, this is truly a bread revolution," Farideh* (not their real name), told the ABC from Tehran.
"People have been pushed to desperation. When you look into young people's faces, you see sadness and exhaustion. Even though they work and are educated, they can't afford a pair of trainers or to replace a mobile phone. They're hungry. Everyone is hungry."
Merchants from Iran's bazaars played a key role in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which brought Iran's clerics to power.
Now they may have started a movement to depose those rulers because many of the protesters want more than economic relief.
Some told the ABC they were angry about extensive corruption and decades of mismanagement and wanted an entirely new system of government.
"This anger comes from the sense that the country has been abandoned, as if no-one intends to stop the collapse, the instability, or the soaring prices," Babak* (not their real name) told the ABC.
"It feels like none of this matters to the ruling power, and no-one is making an effort to even acknowledge the lower-income groups who make up the majority of society.
"I hope this pressure continues until we reach an outcome because the bazaar has the power to break the back of this government and take it down. I hope the protests continue."
The currency crash came after other crises weakened Iran's clerical regime: a massive water shortage in Tehran and the 12-day war with Israel in June, in which the Iranian military was unable to defend Tehran and other cities against daily strikes.
Iran has had major protests before, most recently the "Women, Life, Freedom" marches in 2022 and 2023, which the government has brutally suppressed, sometimes killing hundreds of people.
Many protesters have nevertheless dared to demand the removal of the regime.
"In previous uprisings, targeting the top political leadership with slogans was taboo and people mostly addressed the government," Nima* (not their real name) told the ABC.
"This time, however, protesters have gone straight to the apex of power. That shows the immense pressure people are facing, and they now want a change of the entire system. They are calling for regime change, to cut the snake at the head."
Protests 'not just about economy'
Iran's government has acknowledged public anger about the economy and appointed a new Central Bank governor.
But Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute who specialises in Iranian affairs, said people's grievances go much deeper.
"Some people have described the situation with the clerical establishment as a situation of paralysis or someone not being at the helm of power — that being the supreme leader — because we haven't seen them make any big moves to address these key issues that are upsetting Iranians," she said.
"For that reason, the fact that they haven't done anything is what is likely to bring on another conflict, for example, with Israel, or the situation on the ground to regress, which is what we're seeing right now.
"As long as the Islamic Republic is in power, these problems will not be solved, and that's why you're hearing these anti-regime chants from different cities and towns in the country."
Some of the protesters have been calling for the return of Iran's exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, whose father, the Shah, was deposed by the Islamic Revolution in 1979, but it's not clear whether he is a popular leader or just the best-known alternative.
"The new generation knows exactly what it wants: regime change," Babak told the ABC.
"They are aware that if the regime collapses, there must be an alternative. At present, the only alternative with real popular support is Prince Reza Pahlavi. Our youth have come to this conclusion and chosen an alternative. That's why his name and these slogans are being heard in these protests.
"There is no-one worse than them (the mullahs who lead the clerical regime)," Nima said.
"Many people now say even a wooden stick placed at the top of the system would be better than these leaders. Given Iran's resources and its position in the world, a vast country with four seasons, rich in everything from tourism to oil and gas, even a wooden stick would govern better.
"This will be a win-win for us, and if the crown prince were to return, that would be even better. We would undoubtedly have a far better Iran."
Iran's security forces initially responded cautiously to the protests but now appear to be increasing their repression, moving from firing tear gas and less lethal ammunition to shooting live rounds at some protesters.
Ms Dagres said it was too early to tell if the protests would lead to major change.
"One of the key factors that could drive this is the oil workers going on strike (or) defections by the security forces and basically that they would refuse to obey orders," she said.
"(Or) it would be, I would say, arguably a 3.5 per cent of the population appearing in one place at one time. There's actual historical data on that.
"So let's say if that happened in Tehran, I think that would really signal to the regime that something needs to be done, that people need to step down and let the people lead a different and I would say a brighter future for the country.
"But we haven't seen that just yet. Doesn't mean it can't happen."
