FLASH
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Iran has been gripped by a new wave of mass protests, now in their seventh day, over rising living costs and deep economic deprivation affecting the poorest sections of the population. The protests have erupted with particular intensity in the country's western regions, where a significant percentage of the Kurdish minority lives.
According to the Iranian Mehr news agency, a member of the Revolutionary Guard, identified as Latif Karimi, was killed during clashes in the city of Malekshahi. According to the report, he “fell while protecting the country’s security.” Earlier in the day, authorities confirmed the death of another member of the security forces, who was stabbed and shot during clashes with protesters.
Malekshahi is a town of about 20,000 people, inhabited mainly by Kurds, a community that has been under constant surveillance and repression by the Iranian regime for decades. According to the other state-run Fars agency, protesters attempted to attack a police station, clashing with armed forces.
Meanwhile, the Tehran regime continues to describe the protesters as “foreign-sponsored elements” and “troublemakers,” justifying the use of violence with the need to maintain public order. Footage circulating on social media (censored by state media) shows scenes of violent clashes, armed forces on the streets, and prolonged protests in urban centers, but also in poor rural areas.
This wave of protests comes after a series of previous crises that have rocked the country in recent years — from the women's movement for rights and freedom of dress, to the unrest following the death of Mahsa Amin, who became an international symbol of brutal oppression in Iran.
Today, the cause has been the dramatic increase in food and energy prices, while international sanctions and poor economic management are worsening the situation day by day. Inflation has reached alarming levels, while the irresponsibility of the authorities has fueled a deep dissatisfaction, which for the first time is spreading widely even among rural structures and ethnic minorities.
The protests in Iran are being watched with concern by the international community, but official responses have so far been lukewarm. Tehran has been ruthless towards any critical voices, continuing arrests, detentions without trial and harsh censorship of information.
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