Iran Protests Enter Third Week Amid Economic Collapse

(MENAFN) Anti-government demonstrations in Iran have stretched into their third week, expanding across the country as the crisis deepens due to worsening economic hardship and the sharp decline of the Iranian rial.

Numerous merchants joined a nationwide strike, shutting down their shops in protest against deteriorating financial conditions.

On Sunday, the Iranian president delivered his first remarks since the unrest began last month, pledging that his administration is committed to tackling the nation’s economic challenges.

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, urged for “decisive action” against those he labeled “rioters.”

A nationwide internet shutdown and suspension of phone services have persisted for more than 72 hours, leaving large portions of the population cut off. The London-based monitoring group NetBlocks reported Sunday that telemetry shows the nationwide restriction “remains firmly in place.”

Violence near Tehran’s outskirts claimed the life of an Iranian police officer, highlighting the growing toll on both sides of the confrontation.

While official casualty numbers have not been released, the U.S.-based rights organization HRANA estimates that at least 544 people have been killed, including both protesters and security personnel, with more than 1,000 others wounded.

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