Four protesters killed in Iran by security forces, rights groups say

At least 15 dead and 582 arrested as protests over economic hardship enter second week

Protesters in the Malekshahi district of Iran's western Ilam province on Sunday. AFP

Four people were killed in western Iran when security forces opened fire on protesters on Saturday, human rights groups said, as demonstrations sparked by economic hardship continued across the country.

Kurdish rights group Hengaw said protests broke out in the city of Malekshahi, in Ilam province, late on Saturday and security forces started shooting protesters.

Four Iranian Kurds were killed, the group said, and a number of others critically injured.

At least 15 deaths have been reported in protests that began a week ago, when the Iranian rial fell to a record low against the US dollar. Authorities have attempted a dual approach to the protests – acknowledging the economic crisis and offering dialogue with demonstrators while meeting more forceful displays of dissent with violence. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that “rioters should be put in their place”.

The Iran Human Rights group identified those killed in Malekshahi as Reza Azimzadeh, Fares Aghamohammadi, Latif Karimi and Mohammad Bozoneh. It put the number of injured in the Malekshahi shooting at 30.

The protesters chanted slogans including “Death to Khamenei” and “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, we are all together,” said Hrana, another rights group.

Hrana said that over the past seven days, protests have been recorded at least 174 sites in 60 cities across 25 provinces. “During this period, at least 582 individuals were arrested and at least 15 protesting citizens lost their lives,” it added.

The protests began among traders and shopkeepers in Tehran before spreading to universities in the capital, ⁠then to provincial cities, where protesters have been chanting against Iran's clerical rulers.

Iran's police chief, Ahmadreza Radan, told state media on Sunday that “a big number” of people had been arrested over the past two days for inciting protests online. Police said 40 people had been arrested in Tehran alone over what they called “fake posts” on the protests.

The protests are the biggest in Iran for three years. Although smaller than some previous bouts of unrest, they come at a time of economic vulnerability and mounting international pressure.

Inflation has stayed above ⁠36 per cent since the start of Iran's calendar year in March and the rial has lost around half its value against the dollar, causing hardship for many.

International sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme have been reimposed and the government has struggled to provide water and electricity. Global financial bodies predict a recession for Iran in 2026.

US ‍President Donald Trump has threatened to ‍come to the protesters' aid if they face violence, saying “we are locked and loaded and ready to ⁠go” but without specifying any actions he was considering.

That warning prompted threats of retaliation against US forces in the region from senior Iranian officials. Mr Khamenei said Iran “will not yield to the enemy”.