(New: More details)
TEHRAN (dpa-AFX) – For the fifth day in a row, crowds in Iran took 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 took tough action against demonstrations, especially in rural areas. At least seven people died in the protests. 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. At least two protesters were killed in Lordegan in the central south, human rights group Hengaw reported. The state-affiliated Fars news agency also reported two deaths in violent clashes between protest participants and security forces in the city. Three people were killed and 17 injured in a suspected attack on a police station in Lorestan province. A man was also shot dead in Isfahan province, activists reported.
Human rights activists contradict report in state media
A 21-year-old member of the paramilitary 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.” The human rights group Hengaw rejected this state representation. 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. It is unclear how many people have taken part in the protests so far in the country with a population of over 90 million.
Economic crisis triggers the current protests
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 seeks dialogue and admits mistakes
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./arb/DP/zb