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Iran’s president seeks to ease tensions, acknowledging protesters’ “legitimate” grievances over inflation.
At least five people were killed during protests against the rising cost of living in Iran, has spread to other parts of the country.
At least three people were killed and 17 others injured during protests in the town of Azna in Lorestan province, about 300 kilometers southwest of Tehran, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported on Thursday.
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Videos shared online appeared to show objects burning in the street and gunshots ringing out as people shouted: “Shameless!” Shameless!
Earlier, Fars said two people were killed during protests in the town of Lordegan, about 470 km (290 miles) south of the capital Tehran, in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.
“Some protesters started throwing stones at administrative buildings in the city, including the provincial governor’s office, the mosque, the Martyrs’ Foundation, the town hall and the banks,” Fars said, adding that police responded with tear gas.
Videos online showed protesters gathered on a street, with the sound of gunfire in the background.
Earlier on Thursday, Iranian state television also reported that a member of the security forces was killed overnight during protests in Kouhdasht, in the west of the country.
“A 21-year-old Basij member from the town of Kouhdasht was killed last night by rioters while defending public order,” the channel said, citing Said Pourali, deputy governor of Lorestan province.
The Basij are a voluntary force linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Reports arrive a few days later traders started to protest Sunday, about the government’s handling of the falling currency and rapidly rising prices.
The unrest comes at a critical time for Iran, as Western sanctions hit an economy hit by 40 percent inflation and airstrikes by Israel and the United States in June targeted the country’s nuclear infrastructure and military leadership.
Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi said from Tehran that the government took a more cautious approach to this week’s protests than it did to previous events.
“The government says it is working hard to find a solution, to deal with the economic difficulties that people are feeling,” Asadi said.
Iran last saw mass protests in 2022 and 2023 after the death of Mahsa Aminia 22-year-old woman died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code for women.
The latest protests began peacefully in Tehran and spread after students from at least 10 universities joined them on Tuesday.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian sought to ease tensions, recognizing the protesters’ “legitimate demands” and calling on the government to take steps to improve the economic situation.
“From an Islamic point of view… if we don’t resolve the issue of people’s livelihoods, we will end up in hell,” Pezeshkian said in an event broadcast on state television.
Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Thursday that authorities would hold a direct dialogue with representatives of unions and traders, without providing details.
The authorities nevertheless promised to adopt a “firm” stance and warned against exploiting the situation to sow chaos.
“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,” Iran’s attorney general said on Wednesday.
Furthermore, the Tasnim news agency reported Wednesday evening the arrest of seven people whom it describes as affiliated with “groups hostile to the Islamic Republic based in the United States and Europe.”
Iran is in the middle of a long weekend, with authorities declaring Wednesday a public holiday at the last minute, citing the need to conserve energy due to cold weather.
