Iran protests: The country is experiencing its largest protest in years, with at least seven people murdered and dozens injured. The protests were sparked by Iran’s dismal economy, which has suffered for years as a result of sanctions imposed by the United States (US) and other Western countries over Tehran’s nuclear programme. According to one estimate, inflation in Iran reached 42.5% in December last year, causing citizens to take to the streets.
Iran Protests: Here’s all you should know about this story in eight points:
1. Pictures and videos of the demonstrations have gone popular on social media, showing protesters yelling “Shameless!” while gunshots were heard. Shame-free!
2. Protests have eased in Iran’s capital, Tehran, but spread across the country. According to reports, the most violent violence took place in Azna, 300 kilometers outside Tehran.
3. According to experts, this is Iran’s greatest demonstration since 2022, when massive unrest broke out following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.
4. According to Iran’s state-run news agency, IRNA, a 21-year-old Revolutionary Guard volunteer was killed in the combat. The IRNA said, without providing any information, that the volunteer was a member of the Guard’s Basij force.
5. The Guard member “was martyred… at the hands of rioters during protests in this city in defense of public order,” according to Saeed Pourali, a deputy governor in Lorestan province. “Another 13 Basij members and police officers suffered injuries.”
6. Iranian leaders blame demonstrators for the bloodshed. They contend that the demonstrators’ opinions must be heard, but violence cannot be used to do it.
7. “The protests are an expression of livelihood concerns and are a result of economic pressures, inflation, and currency fluctuations.””Citizens’ voices must be heard attentively and tastefully, but people must not allow profit-seeking persons to put a pressure on their demands,” Pourali wrote.
8. Tehran has been warned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump not to resume its nuclear program.
