2 killed as protests erupt in southwestern Iran

By Ahmet Dursun, Ahmet Kartal and Rania Abu Shamala

TEHRAN/ ISTANBUL (AA) – Two people were killed in protests in southwestern Iran on Thursday, local media reported.

The semi-official Fars News Agency, citing an unnamed local official, said more than 150 people gathered in the Lordegan area of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, chanting anti-government slogans and hurling stones at public buildings.

“After police intervened, some protesters opened fire at security forces, injuring a number of officers, while two people were killed during the clashes,” the official said.

The protests erupted as local media said that 20 people were arrested during incidents in the city of Kuhdasht in Lorestan province on Wednesday, resulting in the killing of a member of the Basij force affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

On Dec. 28, traders in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar launched protests over the sharp depreciation of the local currency, the Iranian rial, against foreign currencies and mounting economic hardships, which later spread to several other cities nationwide.

“We are watching, listening, and officially acknowledging the protests, crises and challenges,” government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said.

President Masoud Pezeshkian has acknowledged public discontent, saying the government bears responsibility for the current economic problems and urging officials not to blame external parties such as the US.