Several people have been killed in Iran after cost-of-living protests turned deadly, marking the most serious unrest the country has seen in three years.
Protests that began on Sunday among shopkeepers and traders in Tehran over the sharp fall in the value of the national currency have spread to other groups and regions, reaching a violent climax overnight into Thursday.
Iranian media and a Kurdish rights group reported that clashes erupted in the western city of Lordegan between security forces and protesters. A source cited by the semi-official Fars news agency claimed multiple people were killed during confrontations with what it described as armed protesters.
The rights group Hengaw said security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Lordegan, killing and wounding several people. Authorities also confirmed one death in the western city of Kuhdasht, while Hengaw reported another fatal shooting in the central province of Isfahan.
The violence represents a significant escalation in protests driven by soaring inflation, a weakening currency and worsening economic conditions. Earlier in the week, authorities had unusually suggested the possibility of opening a “dialogue mechanism” with protesters.
What started as demonstrations by shopkeepers has expanded to include university students in Tehran, with reports of protesters attempting to break into a government building on Wednesday.
REGIME IN CHAOS: New video shows protesters reportedly ripping down the gate of a government building in southern Iran.
Iran ground to a near standstill this week as businesses, universities and government offices closed under a government-ordered shutdown amid protests caused… pic.twitter.com/TfBie5Bwtv
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