Iran protests spread as government shutdown hits 21 provinces
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Iran came to a near standstill on Wednesday, with government-ordered closures of businesses, universities and government offices due to protests sparked by a growing political and economic crisis.
A 21-year-old volunteer member of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed in a western province on Wednesday, Iranian state media reported, the first death among security forces during the protests.
The death was reported in the city of Kuhdasht, about 250 miles west of Tehran in Iran’s Lorestan province.
According to the Iranian Student News Network, Saeed Pourali, deputy governor of Lorestan province, said the guard member “was martyred at the hands of rebels during protests in this city in defense of public order.”
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Protests in Iran have led to a nationwide shutdown, with President Masoud Pezeshkian closing businesses and offices in 21 provinces due to growing public anger. (MEK)
Video footage circulating on the internet and shared by the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) shows intense clashes between protesters and security forces in cities such as Shiraz, Isfahan, Kermanshah and Tehran.
In the videos, protesters chant anti-regime slogans in crowded streets and clash with security forces.
The footage showed scenes of screams and gunshots being heard, with demonstrators throwing objects and shouting “Death to the Dictator” and “Proud Arakis, support, support”.
Additional footage shared by MEK showed the crowd chanting “Death to Khamenei!” He is seen chanting slogans. and “Shame on you, shame on you!” Anger appears to be spreading across the country, with particular focus on bazaar-led protests in Tehran.
Some of the most dramatic scenes took place in the city of Fasa in south-central Iran. Video circulating online shows demonstrators throwing objects at the door of a government complex and shaking them until the door opens.
Opposition groups also reported that protesters stormed the governor’s office, prompting Islamic Revolutionary Guard forces to open fire. Reuters.
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There are widespread protests in Iran as President Pezeshkian faces a growing economic and political crisis. (MEK)
Military helicopters were seen flying over the city, apparently to scare residents and prevent unrest from spreading.
According to video footage, bazaar traders in Kermanshah in western Iran were seen confronting the security forces by chanting “dishonorable, dishonorable” slogans.
The one-day shutdown affected 21 of Iran’s 31 provinces, including Tehran, as President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to contain growing public anger over inflation, currency instability and falling living standards.
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sits next to a senior military officer in Iran. (Getty Images)
Demonstrations, strikes and clashes with security forces continued for the fourth day in a row in cities across the country.
The unrest has emerged alongside a series of senior leadership changes that have increased uncertainty.
On Wednesday, Pezeshkian appointed former economy minister Abdolnaser Hemmati as the new governor of Iran’s central bank, following the resignation of Mohammad Reza Farzin.
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State media quoted the president as admitting that his job was “extremely difficult and complex” and warned that the new central bank governor would face intense pressure and criticism amid ongoing economic turmoil. IRNA.
Separately, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced the appointment of the Revolutionary Guard Brigade. General Ahmed Vahidi was appointed deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guard.
