Iran protests over economic woes turn deadly
Clashes between demonstrators and security forces leave six dead as demonstrations over high prices spread beyond Tehran.
Protests over Iran’s deepening economic woes turned deadly, with at least six people killed in clashes between demonstrators and security forces in western parts of the country, marking the first reported deaths since demonstrations began earlier this week.
The demonstrations erupted on Sunday in Tehran, where shopkeepers launched strikes to protest soaring prices and prolonged economic stagnation. Since then, the protests have spread to several cities, drawing in students and other groups.
On Thursday, Iran's Fars news agency reported two people killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in the city of Lordegan, in the province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, and three in Azna, in neighbouring Lorestan province.
Police responded with tear gas, and several people described by authorities as “ringleaders” were arrested, Fars said, adding that multiple buildings suffered severe damage.
Earlier on Thursday, state television reported that a member of Iran’s security forces was killed overnight during unrest in the western city of Kouhdasht.
The victim was identified as a 21-year-old member of the Basij, a group of paramilitary volunteers established by Khomeini shortly after the 1979 revolution.
Said Pourali, the deputy governor of Lorestan Province, said 13 police officers and Basij members were injured by stone-throwing during the Kouhdasht protests.
Tensions rising again in Iran
President Masoud Pezeshkian has attempted to defuse tensions, acknowledging protesters’ “legitimate demands” and urging his government to address economic hardship.
At the same time, authorities have pledged a firm response to any violence, warning against what they describe as attempts to exploit economic grievances to create instability.
Iran’s prosecutor general said peaceful economic protests were legitimate but vowed a “decisive response” to acts of insecurity or destruction of public property.
State-linked Tasnim news agency reported the arrest of seven people allegedly affiliated with groups “hostile to Iran” based in the United States and Europe, accusing them of seeking to turn demonstrations violent.
The Iranian currency has lost more than a third of its value against the US dollar over the past year, while inflation has eroded purchasing power for years.