Growing protests across Iran over rising living costs have left multiple people dead as demonstrations entered their fifth day, officials and rights groups reported. The unrest, sparked by a sharp fall in the Iranian currency against the US dollar, has spread from Tehran to several cities, with clashes between protesters and security forces intensifying.
The semi-official Fars news agency reported two deaths in Lordegan, in southwestern Iran, and three more in Azna, with another killed in Kouhdasht, all in western provinces. Rights group Hengaw identified the two victims in Lordegan as protesters Ahmad Jalil and Sajjad Valamanesh. State media also reported the death of a member of the security forces linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) in Kouhdasht, while protesters claim he was one of their number, shot by security personnel. Thirteen police officers and Basij members were injured by stone-throwing during clashes, according to state reports.
Videos posted on social media on Thursday showed cars set ablaze and running battles between demonstrators and security forces in Lordegan, Tehran, and Marvdasht in Fars province. Many protesters have called for an end to the rule of Iran’s supreme leader, while some have also called for a return to the monarchy.
The protests began among shopkeepers in Tehran frustrated by the currency collapse but quickly spread to university students and other cities. Demonstrators have chanted against the country’s clerical rulers, marking the most widespread unrest since 2022, when nationwide protests erupted after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini. While the current demonstrations are smaller in scale than those in 2022, security forces have been deployed tightly in the capital and other hot spots.
Authorities closed schools, universities, and public offices on Wednesday after declaring a bank holiday, ostensibly to conserve energy during cold weather. Many Iranians, however, interpreted the move as an attempt to contain the protests.
President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that the government would listen to the “legitimate demands” of demonstrators, while Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad warned that any attempt to create instability would be met with a “decisive response.”
Observers note that the protests reflect ongoing economic frustration in Iran, where inflation, currency devaluation, and rising costs of living have fueled anger across multiple social groups. As unrest continues, authorities face the challenge of responding to both economic grievances and political dissent, while protesters push for greater accountability and reform.
