Anti-government protests have spread across Iran, including to at least 15 cities, mainly in western and southwestern areas of the country primarily populated by ethnic minorities. The economy’s existential crisis has sparked nationwide protests driven by intense anger and frustration. Consequently, violent confrontations have occurred between demonstrators and security personnel. These confrontations led to at least six reported deaths on Thursday, fueling fears of even more violence to come.
Iran’s counter-revolutionary ways have led to considerable discontent among its population even as they attempt to keep their Gulf allies unified. Its influence in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria have all but evaporated. Only if the Iranian leadership finally accepts the legitimacy of these peaceful protests. Key leaders such as President Masoud Pezeshkian and former Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani are at least publicly recognizing the deepening frustrations of their citizens.
Clashes and Casualties
On Thursday, state violence took on another dimension as protesters faced state violence with lethal force in many cities. According to accounts, protests in Lordegan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, resulted in the death of at least two protestors. At the same time, three others drowned in Azna, Lorestan province. The unrest in Luristan has been most intense in Kouhdasht, where a member of the security forces was reportedly killed overnight as well.
These protests tribute to the national wave of people protests that sparked in late 2019. It was a significant spike in fuel prices that sparked that wave of activism. That popular movement eventually coalesced into calls demanding the toppling of the clerical regime. Present-day protests, although smaller than those in 2022 triggered by Mahsa Amini’s death in custody, have still generated significant unrest and loss of life. Hundreds have been reported dead due to recent demonstrations, including scores of security personnel.
International Reactions
Following the backlash against the Iranian government, U.S. President Donald Trump issued his own warning shot, though much darker in tone. He stated, “If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.” He further emphasized America’s readiness to intervene if necessary, asserting, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
Iranian officials reacted strongly to Trump’s remarks. Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s supreme national security council, threatened repercussions. He argued that any U.S. intervention would destabilize the entire region and put American interests in peril. He noted that the United States should “be mindful of their soldiers’ safety” and emphasized that “any interventionist hand that gets too close to the security of Iran will be cut.”
Economic Factors Driving Discontent
The context for these protests is a deepening economic crisis characterized by rapidly rising prices and economic stagnation. Shopkeepers in Tehran have staged a strike to protest soaring prices. Thursday though, President Pezeshkian admitted it was dire. He threatened that he and his administration would “go to hell” if they failed to reduce the economic suffering all their people were feeling.
The Iranian leaders’ statements capture the understanding, if not the spirit, of a public increasingly fed up with the state of the national economy. As protests continue to spread across various cities, it remains uncertain how the Iranian government will respond to both domestic unrest and international pressures.
