• One security official among the dead
• State media blames ‘rioters’, rights group accuses security forces
• President Pezeshkian cites ‘legitimate demands’ regarding livelihood; Iran currency has lost over one-third of its value against dollar as Western sanctions hammer the economy
TEHRAN: Protesters and security forces clashed in western Iran on Thursday, leaving six people dead in the first fatal violence since cost-of-living demonstrations erupted earlier this week.
The unrest, triggered by soaring inflation and a collapsing currency, has spread from the capital to other major cities.
The semi-official Fars news agency reported that two civilians were killed in Lordegan, following confrontations with security services. Meanwhile, state media confirmed that a member of the Basij paramilitary force was killed overnight in the city of Kouhdasht.
The violence marks a significant escalation in the demonstrations that began on Sunday, when shopkeepers in Tehran went on strike to protest economic stagnation and high prices.
By Tuesday, students from at least 10 universities had joined the movement, which has since expanded to include closing major bazaars across the country.
“Some protesters began throwing stones at the city’s administrative buildings, including the provincial governor’s office, the mosque, the Martyrs’ Foundation, the town hall and banks,” Fars reported regarding the situation in Lordegan.
The agency stated that police responded with tear gas after the buildings were “severely damaged” and arrested several people described as “ringleaders”.
In Kouhdasht, state television cited Said Pourali, the deputy governor of Lorestan Province, reporting the death of a 21-year-old member of the Basij. The channel said the man was killed “by rioters while defending public order”.
Mr Pourali noted that “during the demonstrations in Kouhdasht, 13 police officers and Basij members were injured by stone throwing”.
However, accounts of the violence vary. The rights group Hengaw reported that security forces killed and wounded several people in Lordegan.
Regarding the death in Kouhdasht, the Revolutionary Guards accused demonstrators of taking advantage of the protests.
Contrarily, Hengaw identified the deceased as Amirhossam Khodayari Fard and alleged he was a protester killed by security forces.
Hengaw also reported that a protester was shot dead on Wednesday in Isfahan province in central Iran. Reuters could not immediately verify these reports.
Protests also took place on Thursday in Marvdasht in the southern Fars province, the activist news site HRANA reported.
Hengsaw said Wednesday’s events included demonstrations and detentions across Kermanshah, Khuzestan, and Hamedan.
The unrest comes at a critical moment for Iran’s clerical rulers.
The economy has been hammered by Western sanctions and a currency that has lost more than a third of its value against the US dollar over the past year.
Inflation reached 52 per cent year-over-year in December, according to the Statistical Centre of Iran.
The country is also recovering from regional tensions that led to a 12-day air war in June, during which Israeli and US airstrikes targeted the country’s nuclear infrastructure and military leadership.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to calm tensions on Thursday, acknowledging the protesters’ “legitimate demands” and calling on the government to improve the economic situation.
“From an Islamic perspective … if we do not resolve the issue of people’s livelihoods, we will end up in hell,” Pezeshkian said at an event broadcast on state television.
Despite the conciliatory tone, authorities promised to take a “firm” stance against disorder. Iran’s prosecutor general warned on Wednesday that while peaceful economic protests were legitimate, any attempt to create insecurity would be met with a “decisive response”.
“Any attempt to turn economic protests into 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,” the prosecutor said.
Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani announced on Thursday that authorities would hold a direct dialogue with representatives of trade unions and merchants, though she did not provide further details.
The current demonstrations remain smaller than the nationwide uprising in 2022, which was triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code. That wave of anger left several hundred people dead.
Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday evening the arrest of seven people allegedly affiliated with “groups hostile to the Islamic Republic based in the United States and Europe”, claiming they were “tasked with turning the demonstrations into violence”.
Local media coverage has been mixed, with some outlets highlighting economic hardships while others focus on incidents caused by “troublemakers”.
