Protests and clashes with security forces continued across Iran over the past 24 hours as demonstrations triggered by the collapse of the national currency and a deepening economic crisis entered their 12th day, according to state media, opposition outlets and human rights groups.
At least 27 people have been killed and hundreds arrested since the unrest began, human rights organizations say. While protests have spread to dozens of cities, their scale remains smaller than Iran’s major protest movements in recent years, and it is unclear whether they pose a serious threat to the clerical leadership’s hold on power.
Gunfire, ‘flag removal’ and a Trump sign: protest footage from Iran
Iran’s Fars news agency reported today (Thursday) that a police officer was stabbed to death during a protest near Tehran in the Malard district while “attempting to restore order,” adding that an investigation was underway. The report followed Iranian media accounts that two police officers were killed Wednesday in clashes in the western city of Lordegan, where the Tasnim news agency said about 30 people were injured and accused “rioters” of throwing stones at security forces.
Alongside state-aligned coverage, Iran International, a Persian-language opposition channel broadcasting from London, continued to publish videos it said were sent from inside Iran. One video appeared to show protesters in Mashhad, the country’s second-largest city and a Shiite holy site, pulling down a large Islamic Republic flag. Other footage showed what the outlet described as security forces firing toward protesters in the southern city of Kangan, though it was unclear whether live ammunition was used.
Additional videos circulated by Iran International showed an apparent fire at a governor’s building in northeastern Iran, chants of “Death to Khamenei” at a protest in the western city of Ilam and demonstrations in Bojnord, where state media accused protesters of attacking a mosque and setting fire to a bookstore selling religious texts. An exile group, Iran Human Rights, published footage from Bojnord showing demonstrators chanting, “An Iranian may die, but will not accept humiliation,” and reported large protests in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.
The U.S. State Department highlighted protest activity by sharing a video on its Persian-language X account showing what it said was a protester in Tehran hanging a street sign bearing the name of President Donald Trump, who has publicly encouraged protesters and warned Iran against violently suppressing demonstrations. British author J.K. Rowling also voiced support, writing on X that the protesters’ courage was “astounding.”
Footage of alleged gunfire toward protesters in Kangan
The protest wave began last week as a spontaneous demonstration by merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and quickly spread nationwide, driven by runaway inflation and the rial’s steep devaluation. One dollar now trades at nearly 1.4 million rials, compared with about 32,000 rials in 2015 after the signing of the nuclear deal with world powers.
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A grocery store in Tehran after 20 years of crippling sanctions
(Photo: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
While the current unrest is the largest Iran has faced since its 12-day war with Israel six months ago, it remains smaller than the 2022 protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini and the nationwide fuel price protests of 2019.
The demonstrations come as Iran faces renewed sanctions, lingering fallout from recent Israeli and U.S. strikes and a severe economic crisis, with no clear relief in sight as long as Tehran refuses major concessions on its nuclear and missile programs.
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Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Fearing an Israeli strike
(Photo: KHAMENEI.IR / AFP, West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)
President Masoud Pezeshkian has instructed police not to harm protesters, but Iranian media quoted him as saying those attacking police stations and military sites with weapons are “rioters.” Ultimate control over any crackdown rests with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who commands the Revolutionary Guard and the Basij militia.
Trump has warned Iran against killing protesters, a message echoed by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. Iranian officials responded by threatening retaliation against U.S. bases in the region and warning Israel, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested the protests could mark a turning point for the Iranian people.