At least 7 people killed during growing protests in Iran
Kyiv • UNN
In Iran, demonstrations caused by the deteriorating economic situation have spread to rural provinces, claiming the lives of at least seven people. These deaths may indicate increased measures by the Iranian authorities in response to the protests.
In Iran, demonstrations caused by the deteriorating economic situation spread to the rural provinces of the Islamic Republic on Thursday, with at least seven people killed in the first fatalities among security forces and protesters, authorities said, UNN reports with reference to AP.
Details
These deaths, the publication writes, may mark the beginning of tougher measures by the Iranian theocracy in response to demonstrations that have slowed in the capital, Tehran, but have spread elsewhere. Two deaths on Wednesday and five on Thursday occurred in four cities predominantly inhabited by the ethnic Lur group.
The protests are the largest in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in a police station sparked nationwide demonstrations. However, these demonstrations have not yet engulfed the entire country and have not been as intense as those that accompanied the death of Amini, who was detained for not wearing a hijab, or headscarf, as the authorities wished.
The most intense acts of violence appear to have occurred in the city of Azna in Iran's Lorestan province, approximately 300 kilometers southwest of Tehran. Online videos from there allegedly show objects burning in the street, gunfire, and people shouting: "Shameless! Shameless!"
The semi-official Fars news agency reported three deaths. Other media, including pro-reform publications, cited Fars as a source of information, while state media did not fully acknowledge the violence there or elsewhere. It is unclear why there was not broader coverage of the unrest, but journalists were arrested for reporting in 2022, the publication writes.
From Lordegan, a city in Iran's Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, 470 kilometers south of Tehran, videos have emerged online showing demonstrators gathered in the street, with gunshots heard in the background.
Fars, citing an anonymous official, reported that two people died during Thursday's protests.
The Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran reported two deaths, identifying the deceased as participants in the demonstrations. The center also published a still image that appears to show an Iranian police officer in body armor holding a shotgun.
In 2019, mass protests took place in the Lordegan area, and demonstrators reportedly damaged government buildings after reports of HIV infections among the population due to contaminated needles used in a local clinic.
In Fouladshahr, in Iran's Isfahan province, state media reported the death of a man on Thursday, which activist groups attributed to police firing on demonstrators.
A separate demonstration on Wednesday evening reportedly resulted in the death of a 21-year-old volunteer from the Basij paramilitary force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The state news agency IRNA reported the death of a Corps member but did not provide details. The Iranian Student News Network, which is believed to be close to the Basij, directly blamed demonstrators for the death of the Corps member, citing comments by Saeed Pourali, deputy governor of Lorestan province.
Reportedly, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps "died at the hands of rioters during protests in that city, defending public order." He also added that 13 other Basij members and police officers were injured.
"The protests are caused by economic pressure, inflation, and currency fluctuations and are an expression of concern about livelihoods," Pourali said. "The voices of citizens must be heard carefully and tactfully, but people should not allow their demands to be ignored by those seeking profit."
Protests took place in the city of Kuhdasht, more than 400 kilometers southwest of Tehran. Local prosecutor Kazem Nazari said that 20 people were arrested after the protests and that calm had returned to the city, the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported.
Authorities' reaction
Iran's civilian government, under reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, has tried to signal a willingness to negotiate with protesters. However, Pezeshkian admitted that he could do little as the Iranian currency, the rial, rapidly depreciated, with 1 dollar now costing about 1.4 million rials.
Meanwhile, state television separately reported the arrests of seven people, including five it called monarchists, and two others it said were linked to Europe-based organizations. State television also reported that in another operation, security forces confiscated 100 smuggled pistols, without elaborating.
The Iranian theocracy declared Wednesday a public holiday in most of the country, citing cold weather, presumably as an attempt to get people out of the capital for a long weekend. The Iranian weekend falls on Thursday and Friday, and Saturday is the birthday of Imam Ali, another holiday for many.
Addition
Protests stemming from economic problems have also sparked protests against the Iranian theocracy. The country's leaders are still reeling after Israel waged a 12-day war against the country in June. The US also bombed Iranian nuclear facilities during the war.
Iran has stated that it is no longer enriching uranium at any facility in the country, attempting to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations on its nuclear program to ease sanctions. However, these negotiations have not yet taken place, amid warnings from US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Tehran resuming its nuclear program.