Iranian bazaars on edge amid rumors of general strike

DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources report jitters in Tehran’s business sector since Wednesday morning amid fears of a continuous outbreak of strikes. Many shops shut their doors. The authorities claim the rumors are spread to undermine morale and stir up trouble. Both supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have been holding urgent consultations with their aides over the plunging economy. Money changers selling dollars at illegal rates were earlier rounded up. First clashes erupted between protesters and police in some parts of Tehran.