At least 36 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in Iran.
This is reported by the AP.
Protests erupted in late December over an economic crisis and the collapse of the national currency. According to human rights activists, the protests have spread to more than 270 cities in 27 of Iranʼs 31 provinces. In addition to the deaths, more than 1 200 people have been detained.
One of the epicenters of the protests was the Grand Bazaar in Tehran. Witnesses reported that security forces used tear gas to disperse demonstrators after merchants closed their shops en masse.
The countryʼs economic situation is rapidly deteriorating. The Iranian rial has fallen to a record low of more than 1.46 million to $1. The central bank has cut a subsidized exchange rate for importers, which has already led to a sharp increase in the prices of basic products, including oil, chicken and dairy products.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged that the government was unable to handle the crisis on its own and promised to investigate individual incidents, including the deaths of protesters in Ilam province.
There, according to activists, security forces opened fire on civilians. There were also reports of special forces raiding a hospital where wounded protesters may have been hiding.
The United States has sharply criticized the actions of Iranian security forces. President Donald Trump said that Washington "will not leave violence against peaceful protesters unanswered". Tehran called these words a threat and warned of possible strikes on American targets in the Middle East.
This is not the first time Iran has faced mass protests, but the current wave is one of the bloodiest in recent years, amid sanctions, inflation, and political tensions.
The protests began on December 28 among traders and shopkeepers, later joined by students and provincial residents. They were the largest since the 2022 mass protests that resulted in the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained for allegedly wearing a hijab incorrectly and later found dead.
- Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has already prepared a backup plan in case the regime falls, an escape plan. The Timesʼ interlocutor said that Moscow is seen as the only realistic option for Khamenei to seek refuge.
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