Violent Clashes Reported As Iran Protests Spread To More Areas

Tehran/Internet/Hyderabad, Jan 8 (Maxim News): There were violent clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in several locations in Iran on Wednesday, as a wave of unrest sparked by the country’s economic crisis continued for an 11th day.

Here To Join Us On WhatsApp

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, said two policemen were shot and killed by armed individuals in the south-western town of Lordegan.

Videos posted on social media showed a tense stand-off between protesters and security forces, with the sound of gunfire in the background.

Here To Join Us On WhatsApp

In footage from several other areas, security forces appear to fire guns and tear gas towards crowds of protesters, some of whom are throwing stones.

The protests have so far spread to 111 cities and towns across all 31 provinces, according to the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA).

Here To Join Us On WhatsApp

It has reported that at least 34 protesters and four security personnel have been killed during the unrest, and that 2,200 protesters have been arrested.

Clashes In Iran

BBC Persian has confirmed the deaths and identities of 21 people, while Iranian authorities have reported the deaths of five security personnel.

Here To Join Us On WhatsApp

The protests began on 28 December, when shopkeepers took to the streets of the capital, Tehran, to express their anger at another sharp fall in the value of the Iranian currency, the rial, against the US dollar on the open market.

The rial has sunk to a record low over the past year and inflation has soared to 40% as sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme squeeze an economy also weakened by government mismanagement and corruption.

Here To Join Us On WhatsApp

University students soon joined the protests and they began spreading to other cities, with crowds frequently heard chanting slogans against the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and sometimes in support of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s late former shah. (Maxim News) 

Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe.  Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates

More Stories: