At least 7 killed as anti-government protests erupt in Iran
Illustrative photo: protests in Iran (Getty Images)
At least seven people have been killed during anti-government protests that have erupted in Iran, according to the Associated Press.
Protests escalation
These deaths, the agency notes, may mark the beginning of a tougher response by the Iranian theocracy to demonstrations that have slowed down in the capital Tehran but spread to other places. The deaths, two on Wednesday and five on Thursday, occurred in four cities where the Lur ethnic group in Iran predominantly lives.
The protests have been 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 spread across the country and have not been as intense as those that followed the death of Amini, who was detained for not wearing a hijab, or headscarf, as required by the authorities.
The most intense acts of violence appear to have taken place in the city of Azna in the Iranian province of Lorestan, about 300 kilometers southwest of Tehran. Videos from the internet allegedly show objects burning in the streets, gunfire, and people shouting: "Shameless! Shameless!" the article says.
Deaths and conflicting reports
The Fars news agency reported three deaths. Other media outlets, including pro-reform publications, cited Fars as their source, while state media did not fully acknowledge the violence there or elsewhere. It is unclear why there was no wider coverage of the unrest, but journalists were arrested for reporting in 2022, the publication writes.
From Lordegan, a city in the Iranian province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, 470 kilometers south of Tehran, videos appeared on the Internet showing protesters gathering in the streets with gunshots heard in the background.
Fars, citing an anonymous official, reported that two people were killed during Thursday's protests.
The Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran reported the deaths of two people, identifying them as participants in the demonstrations.
The center also revealed a still image that appears to show an Iranian police officer in body armor holding a shotgun.
In Fuladshahr, in the Iranian province of Isfahan, 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 led to the death of a 21-year-old volunteer from the Basij militia of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The state news agency IRNA reported the death of a member of the Corps but did not provide details.
The Iranian news agency Student News Network, which is believed to be close to the Basij, directly blamed the protesters for the death of the Corps member, citing comments by Saeed Pourali, deputy governor of Lorestan province.
Authorities' reaction
The Iranian government, led by reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, tried to signal its willingness to negotiate with the protesters.
However, Pezeshkian acknowledged that there was little he could do, as Iran's currency, the rial, had rapidly depreciated and was now worth around 1.4 million rials to the dollar.
Meanwhile, state television separately reported the arrests of seven people, including five it described as monarchists and two others it said were linked to European groups.
State television also reported that security forces had confiscated 100 smuggled pistols in another operation, without providing details.
The Iranian theocracy declared Wednesday a public holiday across most of the country, citing cold weather, presumably in an attempt to get people out of the capital for a long weekend.
Iranian weekends fall on Thursday and Friday, and Saturday is the birthday of Imam Ali, another holiday for many.
Protests in Iran
Protests erupted in Tehran among business owners who expressed outrage at another sharp drop in the Iranian currency against the US dollar on the open market.
By Tuesday, university students had joined the protests, which had spread to several cities. Protesters chanted slogans against the country's spiritual leadership.
These protests have been the largest in Iran since 2022. To prevent escalation, the authorities have tightened security measures in areas of Tehran where demonstrations began.
On New Year's Eve, protesters set fire to a Basij militia base, which is a key instrument of the authorities' coercive power.
