Iran protests turn deadly as anti-regime demonstrations enter fifth day
Caroline MolloyProtests in Iran entered a fifth consecutive day on Thursday, with demonstrations and clashes reported across Tehran and multiple provincial cities as authorities, state-linked media and rights groups cited additional deaths overnight.
According to Reuters, several people have been killed since the unrest escalated, based on reports from Iranian media and human rights groups. Iranian authorities have confirmed at least one death. Iran International said that seven protesters were killed by security forces, making Thursday the deadliest day of the protests so far.
Opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) told Fox News Digital in a statement that protests and street clashes continued Thursday morning in Tehran and in cities including Marvdasht, Kermanshah, Delfan and Arak, and claimed that two protesters were killed by direct fire in Lordegan. Fox News Digital could not independently verify the deaths.
The protests began on Sunday after shopkeepers and merchants demonstrated against soaring inflation, unemployment and the sharp depreciation of Iran’s currency. The unrest quickly spread beyond bazaars to include students and wider public demonstrations in cities across the country.
In Lordegan, in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, clashes intensified overnight. Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, reported that crowds threw stones at government buildings, including the governor’s office, the judiciary, the Martyrs Foundation, the Friday prayer complex and several banks. Police used tear gas to disperse protesters, and multiple buildings were heavily damaged. Fars said two people were killed during the clashes, without specifying whether they were protesters or security personnel.
The Kurdish rights group Hengaw reported that protesters in Lordegan were killed by security forces. In Kuhdasht, authorities said a member of the Basij volunteer paramilitary force was killed, and 13 others wounded during clashes, blaming demonstrators. Hengaw disputed that account, telling Reuters that the individual was a protester killed by security forces. Reuters said it could not confirm either version.
Separately, Iran International reported that a 37-year-old man was shot dead in Fooladshahr, in Isfahan province, during overnight protests. Iran International said it verified the man’s identity and reviewed video footage, while provincial police confirmed the death of a 37-year-old citizen without providing further details.
