Several people were killed during violent unrest in Iran on Thursday as the country witnessed its most widespread protests in three years, triggered by worsening economic conditions and a sharp fall in the national currency. Iranian media outlets and human rights groups reported fatalities across multiple provinces, signalling a dangerous escalation in demonstrations that began earlier this week.
The semi-official Fars news agency said three protesters were killed and at least 17 others injured during an attack on a police station in Lorestan province in western Iran. According to the report, protesters stormed police headquarters around 6 pm local time, clashing with security forces and setting several police vehicles on fire.
Clashes Reported From West To Central Iran
Fars and Kurdish rights group Hengaw also reported deaths in Lordegan, a city in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Authorities separately confirmed one death in the western city of Kuhdasht, while Hengaw said another person was killed in Isfahan province in central Iran.
The confrontations marked a sharp intensification of protests that have spread since Sunday, when shopkeepers and merchants began demonstrating against the government’s handling of a rapid currency slide and soaring prices. Inflation in Iran has remained above 40%, severely eroding purchasing power and fuelling public anger.
Fars reported that two people were killed in Lordegan during clashes between security forces and what it described as armed protesters, after earlier saying several had died. Hengaw, however, said multiple people were killed or wounded there by security forces.
Conflicting Accounts And Mounting Pressure
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said one member of its affiliated Basij volunteer paramilitary force was killed in Kuhdasht and another 13 were injured. The Guards accused demonstrators of exploiting the protests to carry out violence. Hengaw disputed the official account, identifying the deceased as Amirhossam Khodayari Fard and saying he was a protester who was killed by security forces.
Hengaw also reported that a protester was shot dead on Wednesday in Isfahan province. Additional demonstrations were held on Thursday in Marvdasht, in southern Fars province, according to activist news outlet HRANA. Hengaw said detentions were reported a day earlier in the western provinces of Kermanshah, Khuzestan and Hamedan.
The unrest comes at a critical moment for Iran’s clerical leadership, which is struggling under the weight of Western sanctions and a fragile economy. The pressure has been compounded by Israeli and US airstrikes in June that targeted Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile infrastructure, as well as senior military figures.
Tehran has responded with a combination of security measures and calls for engagement. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Thursday that authorities would hold direct talks with representatives of trade unions and merchants, though she offered no further details.
The Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, said those involved in the violence in Kuhdasht were “taking advantage of the atmosphere of popular protests,” underscoring the growing tension between the state and an increasingly restless public.
