Five Dead in West Iran Protests

JAKARTA - At least five people were killed and several others were injured in protests that took place in western and southwestern Iran on Thursday (1/1), local media reported.

The semi-official Fars News Agency, quoting an unnamed local official, reported that more than 150 people gathered in the Lordegan region of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. The crowd reportedly chanted anti-government slogans and threw stones at public buildings.

"After the police intervened, some of the protesters fired at security forces, injuring a number of officers, while two people were killed in the clashes," the official said.

Fars also reported that three other people were killed and 17 people were injured when a group of rioters attacked a police headquarters in Lorestan Province. The incident occurred by taking advantage of public protests in Azna City.

According to the report, the attackers used sharp weapons and firearms while attempting to disarm the officers and raid the weapons warehouse, which then triggered the clashes.

The violence occurred after local media reported the arrest of 20 people in an incident in the city of Kuhdasht, Lorestan Province, on Wednesday. In the incident, a member of the Basij forces affiliated with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was reportedly killed.

On December 28, traders in Tehran's Grand Bazaar staged a protest following the plummeting value of the local currency, the Iranian rial, against foreign currencies and increasing economic pressure. The action then spread to a number of other cities throughout the country.

"We observe, listen to, and officially acknowledge the protests, crises, and challenges that are happening," said Iran's Government Spokesperson, Fatemeh Mohajerani.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also acknowledged public dissatisfaction. He stated that the government was responsible for the economic problems currently facing and urged officials not to blame external parties such as the United States.