Iran protests escalate as economic crisis sparks deadly clashes

Protests sparked by worsening economic conditions in Iran on December 28 have spread nationwide, escalating into violent clashes.

The Wall Street Journal, citing local media, reported that at least five people have died in clashes between protesters and police in Iran.

Noting that the demonstrations, which began over economic grievances and have now entered their fifth day, represent the largest protests in the last three years, The Guardian warned of increasing violence, citing activists and human rights defenders.

“This is a real battlefield, and [security forces] are firing ruthlessly,” a witness told the newspaper.

Attack on police station

According to the Fars news agency, three people were killed and 17 injured in an attack on a police station in the western province of Lorestan. Two others died during protests in the city of Lordegan, approximately 470 kilometers south of Tehran.

The agency reported that some demonstrators threw stones at a mosque and administrative buildings in the city, including the governor’s office, while police intervened with tear gas.

Casualties among security forces

Iranian state television IRIB announced that a security officer was killed during nighttime protests in the city of Kuhdasht, Lorestan province. The victim was identified as a 21-year-old member of the Basij, a volunteer militia organization linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Record drop in the rial stirs the streets

The wave of protests in Iran began on Sunday, December 28, at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran. Shopkeepers and university students, frustrated by the sharp decline in the exchange rate and rapidly rising prices, took to the streets in reaction to the government’s economic policies.

On the day the unrest began, the Iranian rial fell to a record low against the US dollar, reaching the 1,450,000 mark. Following this development, Central Bank of Iran Governor Mohammad Farzin resigned.

Demonstrations that initially began with economic demands quickly spread nationwide, leading to violent incidents. In a statement regarding the protests, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps characterized the events as a “psychological war conducted from the outside by Iran’s enemies” and an “attempt to sow discord in society.”

Pezeshkian orders dialogue

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian instructed the Interior Minister on December 30 to establish a dialogue with representatives of the protesters.

Pezeshkian emphasized that this step was necessary so that “the government can exert its full power to solve problems and act responsibly.”