25+ dead in Iran’s nationwide protests

Shafaq News– Tehran

At least 25 people, four of whom were minors, have been killed, and more than 1000 arrested in Iran’s protests over currency collapse, according to human rights group Hengaw.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) put the toll higher, saying at least 36 people, including two security personnel, had been killed, with 2,076 people detained nationwide.

The protests began on December 28 following a sharp decline in the Iranian rial, which fell to a record low of about 1.45 million per US dollar, alongside a surge in food prices. Initial strikes by merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar later spread to at least 25 provinces, with demonstrations expanding beyond economic demands to include political slogans. Iranian media reported that a Basij member, Ali Azizi, was killed during clashes in western Iran after being stabbed and shot.

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