At least 16 people killed in Iran during a week of protests - human rights activists
Kyiv • UNN
At least 16 people have died in Iran during a week of unrest as protests against soaring inflation spread across the country, leading to violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces.
At least 16 people have died in a week of unrest in Iran, as protests against soaring inflation spread across the country, leading to violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces, human rights organizations reported on Sunday, UNN writes with reference to Reuters.
Details
Throughout the week, both state media and human rights organizations reported deaths and arrests, although the figures vary. Reuters was unable to independently verify these figures.
These protests are the largest in three years, and while smaller than some previous outbreaks of unrest that have rocked the Islamic Republic, they come at a vulnerable time, with the economy in a devastating state and international pressure mounting, the publication writes.
US President Donald Trump threatened to come to the aid of protesters if they faced violence, saying on Friday: "We are ready for action," without specifying what actions he was considering.
This warning drew threats of retaliation against American forces in the region from high-ranking Iranian officials. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would "not yield to the enemy."
The Kurdish human rights organization Hengaw reported that at least 17 people have died since the protests began. HRANA, a network of human rights activists, reported at least 16 killed and 582 arrested.
Iran's police chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan, told state media that security forces had been pursuing protest leaders for arrest over the previous two days, saying that "a large number of leaders in the virtual space have been detained."
Police reported that in the capital Tehran alone, 40 people were arrested for what they called "fake posts" about the protests aimed at destabilizing public opinion.
The most intense clashes were reported in the western parts of Iran, but there were also protests and clashes between demonstrators and police in Tehran, in central areas, and in the southern province of Baluchistan.
Late on Saturday, the governor of Qom, the conservative center of Iran's Shiite Muslim clergy, said two people had died in the unrest, adding that one of them died as a result of the premature explosion of an explosive device he had made.
HRANA and the state news agency Tasnim reported that authorities had detained an online account administrator who had called for protests.
The protests began a week ago among bazaar merchants and shop owners, then spread to university students, and then to provincial cities, where some protesters chanted slogans against Iran's clerical rulers.
Iran has faced inflation of over 36% since the beginning of the year in March, and the rial has lost approximately half of its value against the dollar, causing hardship for many people.
International sanctions on Iran's nuclear program have been reinstated, the government has struggled to provide water and electricity across the country for a year, and global financial organizations are forecasting a recession in 2026.
Authorities have tried to take a dual approach to the protests – acknowledging the economic crisis and offering dialogue with demonstrators, while responding to stronger expressions of dissent with violence.
Khamenei said on Saturday that while authorities would talk to protesters, "rioters should be put in their place."
Speaking on Sunday, Vice President Mohammadreza Aref said the government recognized that the country faced shortcomings, while warning that some people were trying to exploit the protests.
"We expect young people not to fall into the trap of enemies," Aref said in comments published by state media.