Deadly clashes as protests over economy spread across Iran

Tehran [Iran], January 2 (ANI): People demonstrating against worsening economic conditions in Iran poured into the streets across multiple provinces over the last 24 hours, with some protests escalating into fatal confrontations with security forces reported CNN.
Protesters reportedly clashed with police, hurled stones at officers, and torched vehicles, Fars said. The outlet alleged that some armed "disturbers" exploited the gathering. Without offering proof, Fars claimed authorities later seized firearms from several individuals.
Earlier, at least two people were killed during clashes between dozens of protesters and police in Lordegan county in the southwestern Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Fars reported. It was not immediately clear whether those killed were protesters or security personnel. Unconfirmed videos shared online appeared to show demonstrators throwing stones at uniformed police in the area. Fars alleged that protesters targeted the governor's office, banks, and other state buildings reported CNN.
The earliest reported fatality tied to the unrest occurred Wednesday night, when a member of Iran's Basij paramilitary force was killed and 13 others injured in the city of Kuhdasht in Lorestan province, according to state-affiliated media. Fars News Agency aired footage showing a police officer receiving medical care after allegedly being set on fire by protesters.
The Basij paramilitary force is frequently used by the authorities to quell demonstrations.
Twenty people were detained during the protests, the prosecutor of Kuhdasht said Thursday, according to state-run Tasnim News Agency.
In Malard county, west of Tehran, officials arrested 30 individuals for "disturbing public order," Fars reported. The agency quoted county official Mansour Saleki, who said those detained were "misusing the lawful right to protest."
Based on investigations, several of those arrested had traveled from nearby counties, Saleki said, according to Fars.
As crises deepen and protests spread, Iran's frail supreme leader turns to familiar tactics
Shop owners, bazaar traders, and university students joined demonstrations in several Iranian cities this week, chanting slogans against the government over economic hardship after the national currency plunged to historic lows.
The unrest represents the largest demonstrations since the nationwide protests of 2022, which erupted after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody following her arrest for allegedly violating headscarf rules.
The US State Department said in a post on X on Wednesday that it was alarmed by reports of protesters facing "intimidation, violence, and arrests," urging Iranian authorities to halt the crackdown.
"First the bazaars. Then the students. Now the entire country. Iranians stand together. Different lives, one demand: respect our voices and our rights," the State Department wrote in a Farsi-language post on X.
Though still limited in scope, the protests signal the latest phase of mounting dissatisfaction in Iran, as citizens gradually reclaim public spaces and personal freedoms through spontaneous, uncoordinated acts of resistance. (ANI)