Protests driven by Iran’s collapsing economy have turned deadly, underscoring the regime’s growing vulnerability as unrest spreads beyond isolated cities and into multiple provinces.
At least two people were killed Thursday in Lordegan county, in southwestern Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, after clashes erupted between protesters and police, according to the state-linked Fars News Agency. Authorities did not clarify whether the dead were demonstrators or security personnel. State media claimed some protesters were armed and fired on police, allegations that could not be independently verified.
Unverified videos circulating online showed crowds hurling stones at riot police and attacking government buildings, including banks and local administrative offices. Fars said the governor’s office was also targeted.
The violence followed earlier unrest in Lorestan province, where one member of the Basij paramilitary force was killed and at least 13 others wounded overnight in the city of Kuhdasht. Iranian media broadcast footage of an injured officer allegedly set on fire during the clashes — the first confirmed fatality linked to the protests this week.
Prosecutors said at least 20 people were arrested in Kuhdasht alone. The Basij, a key arm of the regime’s internal repression, has been deployed heavily as demonstrations expand.
Shopkeepers, bazaar merchants, and students have taken to the streets in several cities, chanting anti-regime slogans as Iran’s currency plunges to record lows, driving up prices and eroding living standards. The protests mark the most serious nationwide unrest since the 2022 uprising sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
The U.S. State Department said it was alarmed by reports of intimidation, arrests, and violence against protesters, urging Tehran to halt the crackdown. In a Farsi-language post, it noted the breadth of the unrest: “First the bazaars. Then the students. Now the whole country.”
While still fragmented and leaderless, the protests reflect a deeper shift — a society increasingly willing to reclaim public space despite the cost. For Iran’s leadership, the message is clear: economic collapse is eroding fear, and repression alone may no longer be enough to hold the line.
