ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Protests and strikes continued to spread across several Iranian cities on Thursday, with reports of deadly clashes between demonstrators and security forces amid mounting anger over deteriorating economic conditions and the sharp collapse of Iran’s currency.
Demonstrations were reported in Marvdasht in Fars province and Fuladshahr in Isfahan province, as well as in Lordegan, located in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Videos circulating on social media appear to show Iranian security forces using tear gas and live fire to disperse crowds, while protesters confronted them in the streets.
According to Hengaw Human Rights Organization, at least seven protesters were killed in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Isfahan and Lorestan provinces after security forces opened fire on protesters on Thursday, with dozens injured and detained. Iranian authorities have not officially confirmed these figures.
In Tehran, protests resurfaced at the capital’s main fruit and vegetable market on Thursday, despite earlier claims by Tehran Governor Mohammad Sadeq Motamedian that police had brought merchants’ demonstrations under control. Several shops and markets across the capital were also shuttered, while videos showed widespread strikes in Isfahan as shopkeepers closed their businesses in protest.
Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said in a post on X on Thursday that provincial governors have been instructed to engage in “direct dialogue with union representatives and merchants,” adding that governors are holding regular meetings to “hear demands directly” and stressing that “dialogue is the prerequisite for making the right decisions and resolving issues.”
Unrest was also reported on Wednesday in Kuhdasht in Lorestan province, Kermanshah province, Arak in Markazi province, Asadabad in Hamadan province, Babol in Mazandaran province, Rasht in Gilan province, Sabzevar in Razavi Khorasan province, and several other cities. In Kuhdasht, security forces reportedly used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse protesters. A 22-year-old man, Amir Hosam Khodayari Fard, was killed during the clashes.
Human rights organizations, citing eyewitness accounts, say Khodayari Fard was a civilian killed by fire from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). However, the IRGC disputes this account. In a statement quoted by semi-official Mehr News Agency, the force said Khodayari Fard was a member of the Basij.
Basij is generally under the command of the supreme leader of the country and is believed to be a formidable disciplinary organisation enforcing the principles of the state ideology.
“We inform the Iranian people of the martyrdom of one of the devoted members of the Basij and security forces, the martyr Amir Hosam Khodayari Fard, and the injury of 13 of his comrades from the Basij forces while carrying out their duty to maintain security and order in the city of Kuhdasht,” the IRGC said, blaming what it called “opportunistic elements affiliated with the enemy” for the violence.
Kazem Nazari, the public prosecutor of Kuhdasht, said that 20 people were detained on Wednesday night in connection with the unrest.
Economic crisis fuels unrest
The protests began in Tehran on Sunday, driven by worsening economic conditions and the rapid devaluation of the Iranian currency.
Iran’s currency has plunged in recent weeks amid renewed sanctions and diplomatic pressure, trading at around 1.42 million rials to the dollar when protests erupted-up from about 820,000 rials a year ago. Inflation is estimated at nearly 50 percent, with rising import costs further eroding living standards.
On Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met labor leaders and pledged to listen to protesters’ “legitimate demands” while working to protect livelihoods, according to Mehr News Agency.
Iran’s prosecutor general, Mohammad Movahedi-Azad, said peaceful protest was legitimate but warned that damage to public property would face a “decisive” response.
Kurdish parties voice support
Kurdish opposition groups have also weighed in as protests spread to the Kurdish-majority areas of western Iran (Rojhelat). On Wednesday, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) voiced support for the nationwide demonstrations.
In a statement, the PDKI said it backs the “new wave of protests and demonstrations,” arguing that meaningful change requires unity across society. “The Islamic Republic will continue to oppress the people unless all classes and segments of society unite to free themselves from this criminal regime,” the party said.
The Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) went further, calling for urgent political coordination among Kurdish forces. In a statement issued on Thursday, PAK spokesperson Khalil Kani Sanani urged an immediate and extraordinary meeting of Kurdish political parties in Rojhelat.
“Given the ongoing popular uprisings, widespread demonstrations, and the rapidly evolving political and security situation in East Kurdistan [Rojhelat] and across Iran, there is an urgent and historic need for collective political responsibility,” Sanani said.
He added that Kurdish forces must “assess the current situation, articulate a unified political position, and agree on joint Kurdish measures and practical steps that respond to the aspirations of the people and the realities on the ground.”