At Least 6 Killed In Iran During Widening Protests Sparked By Ailing Economy

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Demonstrations sparked by Iran’s worsening economy are expanding The outbreak has spread to rural provinces of the Islamic Republic on Thursday, with at least six people dead in the first deaths reported among security forces and protesters, officials said.

The deaths may be the beginning of the Iranian theocracy’s harsh response to the demonstrations, which have slowed in the capital Tehran but spread elsewhere. The deaths, one on Wednesday and five on Thursday, occurred in three cities predominantly populated by Iran’s Lur ethnic group.

The protests have grown into the largest protests in Iran since 2022. Mahsa Amini, 22 years old The police detention triggered demonstrations across the country. However, the demonstrations have not yet spread across the country and have not been as intense as the demonstrations surrounding the death of Amini, who was detained for not wearing a headscarf to the authorities’ liking.

The most intense violence appears to be hitting Azna, a city in Iran’s Lorestan province, 300 kilometers (185 miles) southwest of Tehran. There he saw objects on the street ablaze and people chanting “Shameless! Shameless!” There were videos online that purported to show gunshots echoing as he shouted.

The semi-official Fars news agency reported that three people were killed. While other media outlets, including pro-reform outlets, cited Fars for the report, state media did not fully acknowledge the violence occurring there or elsewhere. It was not clear why there was no more reporting on the unrest, but journalists had faced arrest for their reporting in 2022.

In the city of Lordegan in Iran’s Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, online videos show demonstrators gathering on a street and gunshots can be heard in the background. The images matched known features of Lordegan, who was found about 470 kilometers (290 miles) south of Tehran.

Fars, citing an unnamed official, said two people were killed during Thursday’s protests.

The Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran stated that two people were killed here and that the dead were demonstrators. He also shared a still image of an Iranian police officer wearing a bulletproof vest and wielding a shotgun.

In 2019, the area around Lordegan saw widespread protests, with demonstrators reportedly vandalizing government buildings following a report that people in the area were infected with HIV due to contaminated needles used at a local health clinic.

A separate demonstration on Wednesday night reportedly led to the death of a 21-year-old volunteer from the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s Basij force.

The state-run IRNA news agency reported on the Guard member’s death but did not provide details. An Iranian news agency called Student News Network, believed to be close to Basij, directly blamed the demonstrators for the Guard member’s death, based on comments by Saeed Pourali, deputy governor in Lorestan province.

The guard member reportedly said he “fell a martyr… at the hands of rioters during protests in this city in defense of public order.” The official added that 13 Basij members and police officers were also injured.

“The protests that took place are due to economic pressures, inflation and currency fluctuations, and are an expression of livelihood concerns,” Pourali said. “Citizens’ voices must be heard carefully and tactfully, but people must not allow their demands to be coerced by those seeking profit.”

The protests took place in the city of Kuhdasht, 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Tehran. According to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, local prosecutor Kazem Nazari said that 20 people were arrested after the protests and calm returned to the city.

Iran’s civilian government, led by reformist President Massoud Pezeshkian, is trying to signal that it is willing to negotiate with protesters. However, Pezeshkian acknowledged that there was not much he could do because the Iranian rial currency was losing value rapidly and 1 dollar currently costs about 1.4 million rials.

State television, meanwhile, separately reported the arrests of seven people, five of whom it described as monarchists and the other two whom it said were linked to Europe-based groups. State television also reported that in a separate operation, security forces seized 100 smuggled handguns, without providing details.

Iran’s theocracy had declared a public holiday in much of the country on Wednesday, citing cold weather, possibly to draw people away from the capital for a long weekend. Weekends in Iran are Thursdays and Fridays; Saturday is Imam Ali’s birthday, which is another holiday for many people.

In the protests rooted in economic problems, demonstrators were also heard chanting slogans against the Iranian theocracy. The country’s leaders are still reeling after Israel launched an attack. 12 days war against the country in June. The United States also bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities during the war.

Iran said it was no longer enriches uranium Elsewhere in the country, he is trying to signal to the West that he is open to potential talks on the atomic program aimed at sanctions relief. However, these talks have not yet taken place, as did US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Warns Tehran not to rebuild atomic program.