Tehran. The protests that started against the poor economic situation and rising inflation in Iran have now taken a violent form. This dissatisfaction, which started from the capital Tehran, has now spread to rural areas and small towns of the country. The situation turned extremely tense on Thursday when at least six people lost their lives in violent clashes between protesters and security forces. This is the first time after the major mass movement of 2022 that deaths have been recorded during such large-scale demonstrations in the country.
According to official information and local reports, these incidents of violence mainly occurred in areas where the Lur community is densely populated. After the death of one person on Wednesday, five more people lost their lives on Thursday. Ajna city of Lorestan province has emerged as a major center of violence. In the video circulated on social media, arson, gunshots and anti-government slogans can be clearly heard on the streets. Although the situation in Tehran is said to be under control to some extent, the fire of agitation is continuously spreading in other parts of the country.
Experts are considering these demonstrations as the biggest protest after the Mahsa Amini movement of 2022. Although the current movement is not yet that widespread, the tone of the protesters is gradually shifting from purely economic demands to being against the government. On the other hand, the government media is almost silent on these incidents and is sharing very limited information. The flow of information at the local level is also slow due to the crackdown on journalists reporting during the 2022 violence. The way the security forces have initiated action is indicating that in the coming days the administration may take even more stringent steps to crush this movement, due to which there is a possibility of further increase in tension.
