Unrest in Iran has intensified, claiming more lives as protests over the rising cost of living enter their fifth day. According to reports from both the semi-official Fars news agency and the human rights group Hengaw, clashes between protesters and security forces in the city of Lordegan, located in south-western Iran, have left at least two people dead. Further fatalities were reported in Azna and Kouhdasht, both in western Iran.
On Thursday, social media videos captured scenes of fires set to vehicles during ongoing confrontations between protesters and security personnel.
The protests were sparked by the collapse of the national currency, and many demonstrators have called for the end of Iran’s supreme leader’s rule, with some even advocating for a return to the monarchy. As the day wore on, reports of protests spread across the country, including in Tehran, Marvdasht, and Lordegan, with demonstrators defying security measures.
**Fatalities and Reports of Violence**
Fars news agency confirmed that two people were killed in Lordegan, although the identities of the deceased, whether protesters or security forces, were not immediately clear. Rights group Hengaw identified the two victims as protesters, naming them as Ahmad Jalil and Sajjad Valamanesh. BBC Persian has not been able to independently verify the reports.
Additionally, state media confirmed that a member of the security forces from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) was killed during clashes with protesters in the city of Kouhdasht on Wednesday night. However, protesters contend that the individual was one of their own, shot dead by security forces. Thirteen police officers and Basij members were reportedly injured in the violence.
**Government Response and Widespread Protests**
To quell the unrest, the government closed schools, universities, and public institutions nationwide on Wednesday, declaring a bank holiday to conserve energy due to cold weather. Many Iranians viewed this as an attempt to suppress the growing protests.
The protests initially began in Tehran, where shopkeepers voiced their frustration over the devaluation of the Iranian rial against the US dollar. By Tuesday, university students had joined in, with protests quickly spreading to other cities, where demonstrators chanted slogans against the country's clerical leadership.
The scale of the unrest is not yet comparable to the widespread protests of 2022, which followed the death of Mahsa Amini in custody, but it is still a significant challenge for the government.
In response, President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that his government is open to listening to the "legitimate demands" of the protesters. Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad warned that any attempts to destabilize the country would be met with a “decisive response.”
Source; Theghanareport.com
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