Rights groups say at least 16 people have died in Iran during the week of protests
At least 16 people have been killed in a week of unrest in Iran, rights groups said, as protests over rising inflation spread across the country, sparking violence between protesters and security forces.
Deaths and arrests were reported throughout the week by state media and rights groups, although figures varied. Reuters could not independently verify the numbers.
The protests are the biggest in three years. The senior figures took on a softer tone than in other past riots, at a time when the Islamic Republic’s economy is in dire straits and international pressure is building.
President Masoud Pezeshkian told the Ministry of the Interior that he had taken a “kind and responsible” approach to the protesters, according to comments published by state media, saying “the public cannot be convinced or reduced by forceful means”.
That language is the most conciliatory yet embraced by Iranian authorities, who this week acknowledged economic pain and promised dialogue as security forces battled public protests in the streets.
The supreme leader says that Iran will not surrender to the enemy
US President Donald Trump has threatened to help protesters if they face violence, saying on Friday that “we are locked and loaded and ready to go”, without specifying what measures he had in mind.
That warning prompted threats of US military retaliation in the region from senior Iranian officials.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran “will not surrender to the enemy”.
The Kurdish rights organization Hengaw reported that at least 17 people have been killed since the protests began. IHRANA, a group of human rights activists, said at least 16 people had been killed and 582 arrested.
Iran’s police chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan, told reporters that security forces had targeted protest leaders for arrest two days ago, adding that “a large number of arrested leaders have been arrested”.
The police said that 40 people were arrested in the capital Tehran only in connection with what they called “fake documents” in the protests that aimed to disrupt public opinion.
Violent unrest has been reported in western parts of Iran but there have also been protests and clashes between protesters and police in Tehran, central areas, and southern Baluchistan province.
Late Saturday, the governor of Qom, a conservative center of Iran’s Shi’ite clerical movement, said two people had been killed there as a result of the unrest, adding that one of them died when an improvised explosive device exploded.
HRANA and state-affiliated news agency Tasnim reported that authorities arrested the administrator of online accounts that called for protests.
The currency lost almost half of its value
The protests began last week among shopkeepers and shopkeepers before spreading to university students and then to provincial cities, where some protesters have been chanting against Iran’s rulers.
Iran has faced inflation of more than 36 percent since the start of its year in March and the rial has lost nearly half its value against the dollar, causing hardship for many people.
International sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program have been eased, the government has struggled to provide water and electricity throughout the country for the rest of the year, and international financial organizations are predicting a recession in 2026.
he said on Saturday that although the authorities will talk to the protesters, “riots must be placed in their areas”.
Speaking on Sunday, Vice President Mohammadreza Aref said the government admits that the country is facing mistakes while warning that some people want to exploit the protests.
“We expect the youth not to fall into the enemy’s trap,” said Aref commenting on the state media.
(Reuters)
