Protests continued in Iran for a second day Tuesday amid an economic crisis that many Iranians are blaming on their government’s foreign policies, even as Tehran dismissed the protests as “foreign media propaganda.”

At Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, protesters, including many local shopkeepers, urged owners to close their shops in an expanding strike following the collapse of the country’s currency amid the renewal of US sanctions over the regime’s nuclear program. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Latest on developments in Iran (all times local):

Videos posted on social media appear to show Iranian demonstrators confronting police officers in front of Iran's parliament in Tehran. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani lambasted on Tuesday US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from a deal with Iran on its nuclear programme, and said Iranians will not give in to US pressure but would defend their independence and Islamic values. TEHRAN, Iran — Protesters in the Iranian capital swarmed its historic Grand Bazaar on Monday, news agencies reported, and forced shopkeepers to close their stalls in apparent anger over the Islamic Republic’s troubled economy, months after similar demonstrations rocked the country. Iran's semi-official news agencies, Fars, ISNA and Tasnim, described the protests at the Grand Bazaar as erupting after the Iranian rial dropped to 90,000 to the dollar on the country's black market, despite government attempts to control the currency rate. Similar economic protests roiled Iran and spread to some 75 cities and towns at the end of last year, becoming the largest demonstrations in the country since the months-long rallies following the 2009 disputed presidential election. The protests in late December and early January saw at least 25 people killed and nearly 5,000 arrested, but took place largely in A group of protesters chant slogans at the old grand bazaar in Tehran, Iran.
Protests in Iran, particularly the capital, Tehran, enter their second day as thousands of protestors demand action following a collapse in the value of the Iranian rial. President Hassan Rouhani takes to live TV to call the protests "foreign media propaganda" and says the United States is waging "psychological, economic and political war" with Iran. Protestors blame the Iranian government for the crisis, saying billions are being wasted on expensive conflicts. Iran blames sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump.