At least 36 killed during Iran protests

Once again, the streets of Iran bear witness to the predictable brutality of a regime that has long since forfeited any claim to legitimacy. In the past ten days alone, and as of this writing, at least 36 lives have been extinguished amid protests that began as cries of economic despair but have swiftly revealed the deeper rot at the heart of the Islamic Republic.

According to the exile-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), 34 of the dead were protesters, with just two affiliated with the security forces. The authorities in Tehran, true to form, have offered no official tally but insist only three of their own have fallen. BBC Persian, meanwhile, has verified the identities of 15 victims.

HRANA reports over 60 injuries and more than 2,076 arrests as the unrest—ignited by economic collapse—has reached 27 of Iran's 31 provinces.

On Tuesday evening, semi-official media claimed a policeman was shot dead by "rioters" in Malekshahi, Ilam province, scene of recent widespread demonstrations and a ferocious crackdown. Earlier that day, footage showed security forces unleashing tear gas on crowds in Tehran's Grand Bazaar chanting slogans against the clerical rulers.

Protesters are wisely removing surveillance cameras around the various towns.

The demonstrations erupted on 28 December when shopkeepers in the capital protested the latest plunge in the rial against the dollar. Over the past year, the currency has hit record lows, inflation has soared to 40%, and sanctions—compounded by chronic mismanagement and corruption, have strangled an already frail economy.

Students soon joined the merchants, and the protests spread to other cities.

Then came President Donald Trump's blunt warning of American intervention should security forces slaughter peaceful demonstrators: "We are locked and loaded and ready to go." The following day, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who wields, or wielded ultimate authority, insisted that "rioters should be put in their place" and vowed not to "yield to the enemy." Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei followed suit, promising to hear those with "legitimate" livelihood grievances while vowing zero leniency for "rioters."

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep sadness over the reported deaths and injuries, with his spokesman stressing "the need to prevent any further casualties" and insisting: "All individuals must be allowed to protest peacefully and express their grievances."

Verified footage from Tuesday's clashes in the Grand Bazaar shows crowds chanting "Death to the dictator," an unmistakable reference to Khamenei, before fleeing clouds of tear gas and shouting "Dishonorable" at riot police. 

State-aligned Fars news agency dismissed these as "sporadic gatherings" over prices, quickly dispersed.

Elsewhere in Tehran, protests flared at markets and junctions; in Ilam province, large crowds marched through Abdanan. One clip showed police on a rooftop apparently waving in response to calls for their support; another captured protesters scattering rice into the air in defiance.Yet Fars also reported a police officer "directly hit by rioters' bullets" in Malekshahi.

On Monday, President Masoud Pezeshkian's office announced he had ordered the interior ministry to investigate the unrest in Ilam, prompted by outrage over footage appearing to show security forces storming Imam Khomeini Hospital, where wounded protesters were sheltering. 

Amnesty International condemned the raid, stating Revolutionary Guards and police "used shotguns and fired tear gas into the grounds, smashed glass doors to gain access, and beat those inside, including medical workers. The Iranian security forces' attack . . . violates international law and exposes yet again how far the Iranian authorities are willing to go to crush dissent," the group declared.

The US State Department's Persian-language account branded the hospital assault a "clear crime against humanity."

Kurdish rights group Hengaw reported protesters treated there had been wounded in clashes outside a government compound in Malekshahi, where it verified five deaths, including a retired brigadier-general, while semi-official sources claimed three fatalities when "rioters" attacked a security facility. 

Hengaw says it has confirmed at least 25 killings overall, including four children. Norway-based Iran Human Rights counts at least 27 protesters dead, among them five children, across eight provinces. Its director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, warned: "The Islamic Republic has a well-documented record of bloody repression and mass killings of protesters in past uprisings. Now, as the regime is more unstable than ever and seriously fears for its survival, there is a grave concern that the scale of repression this time may be even more violent and widespread than before."

These are the most sustained protests since the 2022 uprising triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, the young Kurdish woman arrested for allegedly improper hijab. That revolt saw over 550 killed and 20,000 detained in a merciless crackdown, according to human rights monitors.

What we are watching is not mere economic discontent but the slow unraveling of a theocracy that has squandered its people's patience, and, perhaps, its time.

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