Inside Iran’s protests: Why ‘Trump Street’ signs are appearing amid deepening unrest | WATCH

Protesters in Iran have informally renamed streets “Trump Street” amid widespread unrest over economic collapse, with demonstrations spreading and calls for regime change. Security forces have responded with force, and foreign leaders have voiced support or warnings.

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Reports emerging from Iran suggest that multiple streets across protest-hit cities have been informally renamed “Trump Street,” a symbolic gesture by demonstrators as anger over economic collapse spills into open defiance of the Islamic Republic.

The renaming has not been acknowledged by Iranian authorities but images and videos circulating online show graffiti and placards bearing the name, reflecting how the unrest has taken on an increasingly political and international dimension. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the authenticity of the viral videos and images.

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The street name changes come amid the most serious wave of protests Iran has seen in nearly three years. What began on December 28 as demonstrations by merchants in Tehran’s historic bazaar over soaring prices and a collapsing currency has since spread to several cities, including regions in western Iran with significant Kurdish and Lor populations. Protesters have increasingly chanted slogans directly targeting the leadership, including calls for the overthrow of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and references to the return of the pre-1979 monarchy.

Iranian security forces have responded with force. Tear gas was fired at demonstrators in and around the Tehran bazaar on Tuesday, dispersing crowds into narrow alleyways. According to the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights, at least 27 protesters have been killed since the demonstrations began, including five minors. The group said more than 1,000 people have been arrested nationwide. Iranian authorities have acknowledged deaths but claim that some members of the security forces were also killed, including a policeman who was shot dead in western Iran.

The protests have unfolded against the backdrop of deepening economic distress. The Iranian rial fell again this week, touching an estimated 1.47 million to the US dollar on the informal market, a new record low. The currency collapse has intensified public anger over inflation, unemployment and declining living standards, even as the government of President Masoud Pezeshkian announced modest cash payments to ease economic pressure.

The unrest has drawn sharp reactions from Iran’s adversaries. US President Donald Trump warned that Washington was closely monitoring the situation. “We're watching it very closely. If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States,” Trump told reporters on Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also voiced support for the protesters, telling his cabinet, “We stand in solidarity with the struggle of the Iranian people and with their aspirations for freedom, liberty and justice.”

Tehran has pushed back strongly against what it sees as foreign interference. Iran’s foreign ministry accused Trump and Netanyahu of inciting violence and attempting to undermine national unity. The rhetoric escalated further on Wednesday when General Amir Hatami, commander of the Iranian army, warned that Iran would not tolerate threats from outside powers.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the escalation of hostile rhetoric against the Iranian nation a threat and will not tolerate its continuation without responding,” Hatami said, according to the Fars news agency. He added that “if the enemy makes a mistake” Iran’s response would be more forceful than during last June’s 12 day war with Israel.

That conflict looms large over the current unrest. The June war began with Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, with the United States briefly joining in by hitting three major nuclear sites. While the current protests are smaller than the nationwide movement triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, analysts say the combination of economic collapse, recent military confrontation and open foreign commentary has created a volatile mix.

The appearance of “Trump Street” in protest zones underscores how demonstrators are using symbolism to express both defiance of Iran’s leadership and awareness of global power dynamics. For Tehran, the challenge is no longer just economic dissent, but a protest movement that is increasingly political, openly confrontational and unfolding under intense international scrutiny.