3 Killed In Iran As Citizens Clash With Police Over High Prices, Economic Slump

Shopkeepers and traders walk over a bridge during a protest against Iran’s economic conditions. (AFP)

At least three people were killed in Iran as protesters and security forces clashed over the rising cost-of-living in the country. The protests began on Sunday in Tehran when shopkeepers went on strike over high prices and economic stagnation.

The protests have spread to other parts of Iran since then, with local media reporting two civilians being killed in fresh clashes between security forces and demonstrators in Lordegan. A few protesters hurled stones at the city’s administrative buildings, including the provincial governor’s office, the Martyrs’ Foundation and the town hall, while police responded with tear gas.

Iran’s Fars news agency reported that the buildings were “severely damaged” and police arrested several people described as “ringleaders”. The state-run media has previously labelled the protesters as rioters during previous movements.

On Thursday, a member of Iran’s security forces was reported killed overnight during protests in the western city of Kouhdasht. “A 21-year-old member of the Basij from the city of Kouhdasht was killed last night by rioters while defending public order,” an Iranian channel said, citing Said Pourali, the deputy governor of Lorestan Province.

The Basij are a volunteer paramilitary force linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the Islamic Republic. Pourali said that “during the demonstrations in Kouhdasht, 13 police officers and Basij members were injured by stone throwing”.