Three people lose their lives in clashes during protests in Iran

(MENAFN) Clashes during protests in Iran’s western Ilam province on Saturday evening left three people dead, according to reports from local media citing informed sources. Authorities say tensions escalated when "rioters" attempted to storm a law enforcement center in Malekshahi county, resulting in a confrontation that killed one security force member and two "rioters," with several others wounded.

Earlier in the day, reports indicated that a member of the Basij volunteer force, affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, was killed during unrest in Kermanshah province.

The individual, Ali Azizi, died after being stabbed and shot during a protest in Harsin County on Friday.

Protests have been ongoing since Sunday in several cities across Iran, triggered by the sharp depreciation of the rial. Authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and pledged to address economic grievances while warning against violence, vandalism, and unrest.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addressed the situation on Saturday, stating that exploiting merchants’ protests to incite unrest and undermine national security was "absolutely unacceptable." He emphasized that officials should engage in dialogue with protesters but not with those he described as rioters, who should be "put in their place."

Khamenei also recognized that the rial’s decline had disrupted the business environment, attributing the "unnatural" rise in foreign exchange rates to enemy actions. He noted that senior officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, were working to manage the situation.

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