Tehran protests over collapsing rial pose no threat to regime, say analysts

The protests that have rocked Tehran over Iran's plunging currency expose an undercurrent of tension and the effects of sanctions, analysts say, but do not yet signal a real threat to the regime.

Despite hopeful talk from Israel of a "Persian Spring", experts said the regime remains firmly in power and most Iranians continue to support its nuclear ambitions despite sanctions.

"People are not happy with the economic sanctions but will that push them to overthrow the regime? I don't think so," said Thierry Coville of the Paris-based Institute of International and Strategic Relations.

The protests erupted on Wednesday after the rial hit an all-time low against the dollar and shed around 40 per cent of its value, as Western sanctions exacerbate Iran's underlying economic problems.

Money changers said virtually no transactions were taking place in the market, making any valuation unreliable, but the rate was estimated to be about 36,000 rials to the dollar.

The fall has made it harder for ordinary Iranians to afford basic goods and seen import businesses lose millions of dollars.

On Wednesday, hundreds of police flooded central Tehran, closing foreign currency exchanges and rounding up unlicensed money-changers. Scuffles broke out with stone-throwing men, rubbish dumpsters were set alight and 16 people were arrested.