Iran came to a virtual standstill on Wednesday as businesses, universities and government buildings closed under a government-ordered shutdown amid protests sparked by a growing political and economic crisis.
A 21-year-old volunteer member of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards was killed in a western province on Wednesday, Iranian state media reported, marking the first death among security forces during the protests.
The death was reported in Kouhdasht, a city in Iran’s Lorestan province, about 400 kilometers west of Tehran.
Saeed Pourali, a deputy governor in Lorestan province, said the guard member “was tortured… by rioters during protests in this city in defense of law and order,” according to Iran’s Student News Network.
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Iranian protests force a nationwide shutdown as President Masoud Pezeshkian closes businesses and offices in 21 provinces amid rising public anger. (MEK)
Video footage circulating online and shared by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) shows intense clashes between protesters and security forces in cities including Shiraz, Isfahan, Kermanshah and Tehran.
In the videos, protesters chant anti-regime slogans and confront security forces in busy streets.
The footage showed scenes of shouting and apparent gunfire, with protesters throwing objects and shouting: “Death to the Dictator” and “Proud Arakis, support, support.”
Additional footage shared by MEK shows crowds chanting: “Death to Khamenei!” and “Shame on you, shame on you!” as anger appears to be spreading across the country, with particular focus on the bazaar-led protests in Tehran.
Some of the most dramatic scenes were reported in the city of Fasa in south-central Iran. Video circulating online shows protesters throwing objects at the gates of a government complex and shaking them until they open.
Opposition groups also reported that protesters stormed the governor’s office, prompting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces to open fire. Reuters.
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Widespread protests are gripping Iran as President Pezeshkian faces a mounting economic and political crisis. (MEK)
Military helicopters were seen flying over the city, apparently to intimidate residents and prevent the unrest from spreading.
In Kermanshah, western Iran, bazaar traders were seen confronting security forces while chanting “dishonorable, dishonorable,” video footage showed.
The one-day shutdown affected 21 of Iran’s 31 provinces, including Tehran, as President Masoud Pezeshkian tried to contain rising public anger fueled by inflation, currency instability and falling living standards.
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sits next to a senior military official in Iran. (Getty Images)
Demonstrations, strikes and clashes with security forces continued for a fourth straight day in cities across the country.
The unrest has developed alongside a series of high-level leadership changes that have increased uncertainty.
On Wednesday, Pezeshkian appointed Abdolnaser Hemmati, a former economy minister, as the new head of Iran’s central bank, following the resignation of Mohammad Reza Farzin.
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State media quoted the president as acknowledging that the role was “extremely difficult and complex,” warning that the new central bank chief would face intense pressure and criticism amid ongoing economic turmoil, according to IRNA.
Separately, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced the appointment of IRGC Brigade. General Ahmad Vahidi as Deputy Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Guards.
