New wave of protests shakes Iran for the fifth day in a row

Demonstrations

New wave of protests shakes Iran for the fifth day in a row

Once again, crowds of people in Iran are taking to the streets against the state apparatus. The security forces react harshly, especially in the countryside.

For the fifth day in a row, crowds of people in Iran have taken to the streets against the authoritarian government in view of the severe economic crisis. While, according to eyewitnesses, security forces deployed massive numbers in major cities, the state cracked down on protests particularly in rural areas. Meanwhile, President Massoud Peseschkian sought dialogue during a visit to the province.

There have been serious clashes between demonstrators and security forces since Wednesday evening, especially in rural areas. A 21-year-old member of the Basij units was killed in Kuhdasht in the western province of Lorestan, state radio reported. The province’s justice chief announced that those responsible would be held accountable with a policy of “zero tolerance.”

Human rights group Hengaw rejected the state’s account. The young man was by no means a member of the Basij, but an ordinary citizen who was killed by shots fired by security forces. He was killed at close range with a shot in the head, the activists reported, citing informed sources. The information surrounding the 21-year-old’s death could not initially be independently verified.

According to activists, there were further serious riots in the provinces of Fars, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari as well as in Kermanshah. In the city of Marvdasht, crowds poured into the streets, accompanied by honking horns, while paramilitary units with armored vehicles and motorbike columns attacked the demonstrators. In Lordegan in the south-central, security forces opened fire with live ammunition, according to human rights group Hengaw. It is unclear how many people have taken part in the protests so far in the country with a population of over 90 million.

The current rallies were triggered by a sudden collapse in foreign exchange rates last Sunday. Traders in particular in the capital Tehran spontaneously took to the streets. The protests are now also spreading to other parts of the country and sections of the population. Student associations that had already supported previous waves of protests called for demonstrations. Discontent in the country has been growing for years, fueled by a lack of prospects, economic hardship, climate crisis and political repression.

President Peseschkian warned of political divisions and acknowledged his government’s mistakes during a visit to Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari provinces on Thursday. In addition to economic reforms, he announced that he would eliminate subsidies for importers who had previously benefited from a state-sponsored exchange rate. He emphasized that the equivalent value should be passed on directly to the end consumer.

With unusual openness, the moderate-conservative politician explained that the state and banks were to blame for the high inflation. They would have emptied the “pockets of disadvantaged people” and weakened their purchasing power. “Our place in hell is if we don’t solve people’s livelihood problems,” the president said, according to Iranian media.