At least 7 people have been reported dead during mass protests in Iran due to the weak economy

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Widespread protests sparked by Iran’s ailing economy spread across the Islamic Republic’s rural provinces Thursday, with at least seven people killed in the first deaths between security forces and protesters, officials said.

The deaths could mark the start of a heavy-handed response by Iran’s theocracy to protests that have slowed in the capital Tehran but expanded elsewhere. The deaths, two on Wednesday and five on Thursday, occurred in four cities, the main home of Iran’s Lur ethnic group.

The protests have become the largest in Iran since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody sparked nationwide protests. However, the protests have yet to become nationwide and have not been as intense as around the death of Amini, who was detained for not wearing the hijab, or headscarf, preferred by the authorities.

The most intense violence occurred in Ajna, a city in Iran’s Lorestan province, about 300 kilometers (185 miles) southwest of Tehran. There, online videos show objects on the street and gunfire echoing as people shout: “Shame! Shameless!”

The semi-official Fars news agency reported three deaths. Other media, including pro-reform outlets, cited Fars for the report while state-run media did not fully acknowledge the violence there or elsewhere. It was not clear why there was not more reporting on the unrest, but journalists faced arrest for their reporting in 2022.

In Chaharmahal and the city of Lordegan in Iran’s Bakhtiari province, online videos showed protesters gathering in the streets, with gunfire heard in the background. The footage matched known features of Lordegan, about 470 kilometers (290 miles) south of Tehran.

Fars quoted an unnamed official as saying that two people were killed during the protests on Thursday.

The Washington-based Abdorahman Borromand Center for Human Rights in Iran said two people were killed there and identified the dead as protesters. It also shared a still image of what appeared to be an Iranian police officer wearing body armor and carrying a gun.

In 2019, the area around Lordegan sparked widespread protests and protesters vandalized government buildings after contaminated needles used at a local health care clinic infected people there with HIV.

In Fuladshahr, Iran’s Isfahan province, state media reported on Thursday that one person was killed there after police opened fire on protesters by activist groups.

‘Agitation due to economic pressure’

A separate demonstration on Wednesday night reportedly led to a 21-year-old volunteer in the Basij force of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

The state-run IRNA news agency reported the death of a guard member but did not elaborate. An Iranian news agency called the Student News Network, believed to be close to Basij, cited comments from Saeed Pourali, the deputy governor of Lorestan province, directly blaming protesters for the guard member’s death.

The guard member was “martyred at the hands of rioters during a demonstration in this city in defense of public order,” he reportedly said. He said that 13 other Basij members and police officers were injured.

“The agitations due to economic pressure, inflation and currency fluctuations are an expression of concern for livelihood,” Pourali said. “Citizens’ voices must be heard carefully and skillfully, but people must not allow their demands to be suppressed by profit-seekers.”

The protests took place in the city of Kouhdasht, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Tehran. Local prosecutor Kazem Nazari said 20 people were arrested after the protests and that the city had returned to calm, the Judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported.

A decline in currency leads to protests

Iran’s civilian government, led by reformist President Massoud Pezhekian, has been trying to signal that it wants to negotiate with the protesters. However, Pezheshkian admits there is not much he can do as Iran’s rial currency is rapidly depreciating, with $1 now worth 1.4 million rials.

Meanwhile, state television separately reported the arrest of seven people, including five described as monarchists and two others linked to European groups. State TV also reported that another operation saw security forces recover 100 smuggled pistols.

Iran’s theocracy declared a public holiday for much of the country on Wednesday, citing cold weather, possibly in an effort to get people out of the capital for the long weekend. Iranian weekends are Thursday and Friday, while Saturday is Imam Ali’s birthday, another holiday for many.

The protests, rooted in economic issues, heard protesters chanting slogans against Iran’s theocracy. The country’s leaders are still on the back foot after Israel launched a 12-day war against the country in June. The US also bombed Iran’s nuclear sites during the war.

Iran has said it is no longer enriching uranium at any of its sites in the country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to possible talks on its nuclear program to ease sanctions. However, those talks have yet to take place as US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have warned Tehran not to revamp its nuclear program.