At least seven killed across Iran as protests turn deadly

At least seven people were killed as widening protests across Iran, triggered by deepening economic distress, turned deadly, marking the first confirmed fatalities among both security forces and demonstrators.

Demonstrations fuelled by Iran’s deteriorating economy spread on January 1 into rural provinces, expanding beyond major urban centres, Caliber.Az reports, citing The Associated Press (AP).

While protests in the capital, Tehran, appear to have slowed, unrest has intensified elsewhere, raising concerns that authorities may be preparing a more forceful response.

Officials said the deaths occurred across four cities, primarily in areas inhabited by Iran’s Lur ethnic minority. Two fatalities were reported on December 31, 2025, followed by five more on January 1, suggesting a rapid escalation in violence.

The unrest represents the largest wave of protests in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody sparked nationwide demonstrations. However, the current protests have not yet reached the same level of intensity or geographic spread as those that followed Amini’s death, which centred on enforcement of mandatory hijab laws.

The most severe clashes were reported in Azna, a city in Lorestan province, roughly 300 kilometres southwest of Tehran. Iran’s Fars news agency said three people were killed, and 17 others injured there as protests escalated into violent confrontations.

In Lordegan, located in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province about 470 kilometres south of Tehran, online videos showed demonstrators gathered on a street as gunfire echoed in the background. The footage was verified by matching visible landmarks to known features of the city.

The area has a history of unrest: in 2019, widespread protests erupted in Lordegan after reports emerged that residents had been infected with HIV through contaminated needles at a local clinic, leading demonstrators to damage government buildings.

In Fuladshahr, Isfahan province, state media reported a man was killed on January 1, with activist groups claiming police fired on protesters.

Protests also erupted in Kouhdasht, over 400 kilometres southwest of Tehran. Local prosecutor Kazem Nazari said authorities arrested 20 people and restored calm to the city.

President Masoud Pezeshkian’s civilian government has attempted to signal a willingness to engage with protesters, but the president has acknowledged the limits of his authority amid the country’s worsening economic crisis. Iran’s currency has plunged sharply, with the rial depreciating to around 1.4 million to the US dollar.

Although initially driven by economic grievances, the protests have increasingly taken on a political tone, with demonstrators chanting slogans against Iran’s ruling theocracy. The unrest comes as Iranian leaders continue to grapple with the aftermath of a 12-day conflict with Israel in June, during which the United States also carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Iran has since claimed it is no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country, seeking to signal openness to renewed negotiations with Western powers aimed at easing sanctions.

However, diplomatic talks have yet to materialise, as US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have warned Tehran against rebuilding its nuclear program.

By Jeyhun Aghazada