Iran faces biggest protests in three years over economic woes
Several deaths reported in multiple provinces including Lorestan, Isfahan
Clashes escalate as shopkeepers protest currency slide and price rise
US , Jan 2 : US President Donald Trump on Friday warned Iran against using force on protesters, saying the United States was “locked and loaded and ready to go” if peaceful demonstrators were shot and killed.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J TRUMP.” Trump’s warning comes amid mounting violence during Iran’s biggest protests in three years, triggered by worsening economic conditions and a sharp collapse of the rial. Iranian media and rights groups reported that several people were killed as unrest spread across multiple provinces.
Iran’s leadership hit back at the warning, with Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying on Friday that any US interference in Iranian protests would lead to chaos across the region. His remarks came after Trump warned Washington would intervene if Iran used lethal force against peaceful demonstrators.
Iran’s biggest protests in three years over economic hardship have turned violent across several provinces, leaving multiple people dead.
The semi-official Fars news agency said three protesters were killed and 17 injured after demonstrators attacked a police station in the western province of Lorestan. “The rioters entered the police headquarters around 1800 (local time) they clashed with police forces and set fire to several police cars,” Fars reported.
Earlier, Fars and rights group Hengaw reported deaths in Lordegan city in Charmahal and Bakhtiari province. Authorities confirmed one death in the western city of Kuhdasht, while Hengaw reported another death in the central province of Isfahan. Hengaw also said a protester was shot dead on Wednesday in Isfahan province. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the reports.
A separate demonstration on Wednesday night reportedly led to the death of a 21-year-old volunteer in the Revolutionary Guard’s Basij force. The state-run IRNA reported the Guard member’s death without elaborating. Student News Network, which is believed to be close to the Basij, blamed demonstrators, citing comments from Saeed Pourali, a deputy governor in Lorestan province.
The protests took place in the city of Kouhdasht, about 400 kilometres southwest of Tehran. Local prosecutor Kazem Nazari said 20 people were arrested after the protests and that calm had returned to the city, according to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency.
The clashes marked a significant escalation in unrest that began on Sunday, when shopkeepers protested against the government’s handling of a sharp currency slide and rapidly rising prices. Demonstrations were reported in Tehran and other major cities, as well as in provinces including Lorestan, Fars, Kermanshah, Khuzestan and Hamedan, with reports of detentions.
