A slow-burning economic crisis in Iran has reached a tipping point after a slump in the national currency to a record low made even basic goods unaffordable for much of the population.

U.S. sanctions on Iran have taken a heavy toll on the country’s economy, contributing to the current protest movement.

The payments are the latest step to alleviate economic pressures, but given the severity of the crisis, critics say, they are likely to do little.

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and firms from Iran and Venezuela. These sanctions target Iran's drone trade and ballistics program.

The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control on Tuesday sanctioned 10 people and entities for weapons trades between Venezuela and Iran.

The Trump administration on Tuesday announced sanctions against Iran and Venezuela, targeting companies that have been involved in the production and sale of drones. The U.S. is sanctioning 10

Iran’s Mindex website offers military equipment for purchase, with its FAQ now saying that buyers can contract to pay in crypto.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said US President Donald Trump had initially sought negotiations with Iran but acted decisively after talks made no progress. Addressing reporters, she underlined that diplomacy remained the administration’s preferred route, though it would not come at the cost of US security interests.

The protests that closed the year followed a strike by merchants and bazaar owners over a sharp decline in purchasing power. This accelerated decline was driven by rising inflation, reflected in the falling value of the Iranian rial, which lost the equivalent of about 50 percent of its value, and by an increase in unemployment to 7.5 percent.