Iran Protests Turn Deadly as Anti-Regime Demonstrations Enter Fifth Day

Iran’s Anti-Government Protests Intensify for Fifth Day as Death Toll Rises

Protests across Iran entered their fifth consecutive day on Thursday, with demonstrations and violent clashes reported throughout Tehran and multiple provincial cities as the death toll continues to rise amid the widespread unrest.

According to reports from Reuters, Iranian media, and human rights groups, several people have been killed since the demonstrations began. While Iranian authorities have confirmed at least one death, reports of additional fatalities have emerged from various provinces across the country.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an opposition group, reported that protests and street clashes continued Thursday morning in Tehran and several other cities including Marvdasht, Kermanshah, Delfan, and Arak. The group claimed two protesters were killed by direct fire from security forces in Lordegan, though these deaths could not be independently verified.

In Lordegan, located in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, clashes intensified overnight. Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, reported that crowds threw stones at government buildings, including the governor’s office, the judiciary, and several banks. Security forces responded with tear gas, and multiple buildings sustained heavy damage. Fars reported two deaths during these clashes without specifying whether they were protesters or security personnel.

The Kurdish rights group Hengaw contradicted official accounts, reporting that protesters in Lordegan were killed by security forces. In Kuhdasht, authorities claimed a member of the Basij volunteer paramilitary force was killed and 13 others wounded during clashes, blaming demonstrators for the violence. Hengaw disputed this account, telling Reuters the individual was actually a protester killed by security forces.

In a separate incident, Iran International reported that a 37-year-old man was shot dead in Fooladshahr, Isfahan province, during overnight protests. The news outlet claimed it verified the man’s identity and reviewed video footage, while provincial police confirmed the death without providing further details.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that six women detained during protests in Tehran have been transferred to the women’s ward of Evin prison, a facility notorious for housing political prisoners.

The current wave of unrest began on Sunday when shopkeepers and merchants demonstrated against soaring inflation, unemployment, and the sharp depreciation of Iran’s currency. Unlike previous protests focused on social and political issues, these demonstrations are primarily driven by economic grievances. The unrest quickly spread beyond bazaars to include students and wider public demonstrations across the country.

President Donald Trump and other U.S. administration officials have voiced support for the demonstrators. Trump pointed to Iran’s economic collapse and long-standing public discontent while stopping short of explicitly calling for regime change.

Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the NCRI, issued a statement on the continuing protests, noting: “The four-day uprising by merchants, students, and other sectors of society signals the Iranian people’s determination to be free from religious tyranny. This wretched regime is doomed to be overthrown by the risen populace and rebellious youth.”

Another influential dissident leader, the exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the late Shah of Iran, appealed to the international community “to stand with the people of Iran.” He stated, “The current regime has reached the end of the road. It stands at its most fragile: weak, deeply divided, and unable to suppress the courage of a rising nation.”

The unrest comes as Iran’s economy continues to struggle under severe strain from years of international sanctions, high inflation, and currency depreciation. In response to the growing protests, authorities declared a nationwide shutdown on Wednesday, officially citing extreme cold weather as the reason. The government has offered to hold talks with representatives of merchants and trade unions over what it described as “legitimate demands.”

Iran has experienced multiple waves of unrest over the past decade. While the nationwide protests in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody centered on women’s rights and state repression, the current demonstrations are primarily economic in nature, with protesters in several cities now openly directing their anger at Iran’s political leadership.