Protesters across Iran are blaming the regime — and not the United States — for the nation’s worsening economic situation as harsh new U.S. sanctions are set to be imposed this week, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Instead of chants of “Death to America” which are common at regime-led protests, the protesters in one video are heard saying, “Death to inflation! Death to unemployment!” In another video, protesters were heard mocking the security forces.

“In a country where the wealthy and well-connected enjoy fast cars and luxury hotels and the underclass toils to afford rice, bread and sugar, the social fabric is being strained by the economic threat posed by new U.S. sanctions that are set to go into place,” the Journal described the dynamic driving the protests.

Other factors behind the widespread discontent include increases in food prices, poor water quality in Iran’s southwest, and labor unrest. Woman also have been protesting restrictions on their dress.

Economic unrest spurred nation-wide protests in December and January. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who was reelected earlier this year, promised to improve the economy at the time. Since then the rial has depreciated by more than a half. In January the exchange rate was  43,000 rial for a dollar; now it is 96,000.

Sanctions targeting Iran’s sale of oil to Asian nations is expected to cause Iran’s economy to shrink 4.3% in 2019, according to the firm  BMI Research.

“Iran’s leaders often blame internal dissent on foreign forces,” the Journal reported, “even as Iranian protesters focus their ire mostly on Iran’s leadership.”

The popular discontent with Iran’s elite was recently manifest in social media criticism about the lavish wedding between an ambassador’s son and a fashion model.

[Photo: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty / YouTube ]“