ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- The Iranian government mobilized tens of thousands of supporters last Friday in an internal show of force, after weeks of price protests that turned violent, leading to nationwide arrests and injuries.
According to official media, thousands of pro-government supporters gathered outside Tehran, including 50,000 revolutionary guards and basij militia.
In early May, protests erupted in some of Iran's poorest cities after the government cut government subsidies for food, pushing up prices by 300% for many flour-dependent food items. Prices of other commodities, such as cooking oil and dairy products, have also risen. The government said the move was aimed at redistributing support to low-income people.
Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi introduced support changes aimed at controlling commodity prices earlier this month in an effort to mitigate the impact of rising global wheat prices and U.S. sanctions on iran's economy.
Large crowds took to the streets of southwestern Khuzestan province to protest price hikes, and protests later spread to other provinces.
Large crowds took to the streets of southwestern Khuzestan province to protest price hikes, and protests later spread to other provinces.
Dheeb Caleb, a visiting fellow at the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, told CNN that most of the protesters were public sector workers. But the demonstrators also include teachers and drivers.
The protest rallies had echoes in 2019, when many took to the streets to protest the rising fuel prices in the protests, which have become the deadliest since the Islamic Republic was founded in 1979.
Does the Russian war on Ukraine have anything to do with these protests?
Iran's economy, crippled by Western sanctions and the Corona pandemic, was already struggling to cope.
Caleb said the Ukraine war was a "double blow" to it. "In addition to high bread prices, the reduced price of Russian oil and gas exports to China has made it difficult for Iran to sell hydrocarbons to its main trading partner," he said.
Iran is one of the world's largest importers of wheat, relying on Russia and Ukraine for nearly 40% of wheat supplies, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Since the United States imposed sanctions on its oil in 2018, Iran has relied on Chinese buyers. But its crude exports to China have fallen sharply since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported, adding that Beijing is increasingly leaning toward reduced Russian oil as the country faces Western sanctions over its war in Ukraine.
How did the government react to the protests?
The government acknowledged the protests but said they were small gatherings. State media also described the protesters as "rioters and instigators" and said dozens had been arrested.