- Five
killed in Iran protests Thursday. - Protests
in western, southwestern regions. - Several
others injured during clashes.
More than 150 individuals gathered in the Lordegan district
of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, shouting anti-government chants and
throwing stones at public buildings, according to the semi-official Fars News
Agency, which cited an unidentified local official.
“After police intervened, some protesters opened fire at
security forces, injuring a number of officers, while two people were killed
during the clashes,”
the official said.
According to Fars, a group of rioters took advantage of a
public demonstration in Azna city to attack a police headquarters in Lorestan
province, resulting in three additional deaths and seventeen injuries.
The site claims that conflicts resulted from the assailants’
attempts to disarm officers and rush the armory using both live and cold
weapons.
The violence broke out when local media reported that 20
people were taken into custody during incidents in the Lorestan province’s city
of Kuhdasht on Wednesday, which led to the death of a Basij force member.
The significant depreciation
of the native currency, the Iranian rial, against foreign currencies and
growing economic woes prompted protests by traders in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on
December 28. These protests then extended to numerous other towns across the
country.
“We are watching, listening, and officially acknowledging
the protests, crises and challenges,”
government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has acknowledged public
dissatisfaction, stating that the current economic issues are the government’s
fault and advising officials not to place the blame on outside entities like
the United States.
What triggered the protests over the cost of living?
Demurers erupted on Sunday, December 28, 2025, when Tehran
shopkeepers and emporium merchandisers launched strikes against soaring
affectation( over 40), a plunging rial( nearly half its value lost in 2025),
and soaring food prices( up to 72).
University scholars joined Tuesday, chanting against
profitable mismanagement and indeed representing the pre ‑ 1979 Shah period,
marking the first major uneasiness since June Israeli/ US strikes on Iranian
nuclear spots.
President Pezeshkian conceded the” licit demands”
and set up dialogue mechanisms, but clashes escalated as demurrers spread to
Lur areas in the west and southwest.
