Several killed as Iran protests over rising cost of living spread

As demonstrations against Iran’s rising living costs spread to wider areas, at least five people were killed.

At least three people were killed and 17 others were hurt in protests in the Lorestan province city of Azna, which is located 300 kilometers (185 miles) southwest of Tehran, according to Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency on Thursday.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

Online videos that were shared appeared to show gunfire emitted from the streets as people yelled, “Shameless! “Shameless” !

In the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces of Lordegan, about 470 kilometers (290 miles) south of Tehran, two people were reported to have been killed during protests.

According to Fars, “some protesters began throwing stones at the city’s administrative buildings, including the mosque, the Martyrs’ Foundation, the town hall, and banks,” with tear gas in response.

Online videos showed gunfire robbing as demonstrators gathered on a street.

A security force member was killed overnight during protests in the western city of Kouhdasht, according to an earlier report from Iranian state television earlier on Thursday.

According to Said Pourali, the deputy governor of Lorestan province, a 21-year-old Basij member was killed last night by rioters while defending public order.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a volunteer organization that includes the Basij.

The reports come days after shopkeepers began protesting the government’s handling of a falling currency and rapidly rising prices on Sunday.

Iran’s economy is being hit by 40% inflation, and the country’s nuclear infrastructure and military leadership are the targets of the unrest.

Tohid Asadi, a reporter from Tehran, stated that the government has viewed the protests this week with more caution than it has previously done so.

According to Asadi, “the government says it’s working hard to find a solution to the economic strains that people are experiencing.”

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was taken into police custody after being arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code, died in those same years as mass demonstrations in Iran.

The most recent protests started in Tehran peacefully and spread to Tehran on Tuesday as students from at least 10 universities joined in.

Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran, has urged the government to take action to improve the economic situation and acknowledges protesters’ “legitimate demands.”

At a ceremony held on state television, Pezeshkian said, “From an Islamic perspective, we will end up in hell” if the issue of people’s livelihoods is not resolved.

Without providing any further details, government spokesman Fatemeh Mohajerani announced on Thursday that the authorities would engage in direct dialogue with representatives of trade unions and retailers.

The authorities have nevertheless pledged to take a “firm” stand and warned against stoking chaos by exploiting the circumstance.

The prosecutor general of Iran stated on Wednesday that “any attempt to use economic protests as a tool of insecurity, destruction of public property, or implementation of externally designed scenarios will inevitably be met with a legal, proportionate, and decisive response.”

Meanwhile, seven people were detained on Wednesday evening according to the Tasnim news agency, who it described as belonging to “groups hostile to the Islamic Republic based in the United States and Europe.”