Iranian authorities are offering one million tomans, an equivalent of $7, as a monthly stipend to citizens as widespread protests sparked by the economic crisis enter their ninth day.

At least 20 people have been killed during the protests, which started on December 28.

Fatameh Mohajerani, Iranian government spokeswoman, made this announcement on state-owned television on Monday as protests swept through the country.

The $7 stipend, Ms Mohajerani said, was aimed at “preserving households’ purchasing power, controlling inflation, and ensuring food security”.

According to the Iranian government spokeswoman, citizens will receive the $7 stipend for the next four months.

The stipend would be deposited directly into citizens’ accounts as credit, not cash.

Iran’s towering inflation stands at 42 per cent, with its currency, the rial, plummeting to an all-time low of 1.4 million rials per dollar.

The stipend offer by the Iranian government comes against the backdrop of protests that broke out in late December 2025.

The protests have seen merchants, traders, and university students hit the streets, disrupting commercial and public activities across the country for nine days, spreading into 22 of Iran’s 31 provinces, with some protesters now calling for freedom and regime change.