Several were killed in Iran during violent protests sparked by economic conditions

Dozens of people have died during unrest in Iran, media and rights groups in Iran said on Thursday, as the three-year-old mass protests that have gripped the Islamic Republic over worsening economic conditions sparked violence in several provinces.

Fars News Agency reported that three protesters were killed and 17 were injured when an attack was made on a police station in Lorestan province in western Iran.

Fars said the protesters entered the police headquarters at around 18:00 local time on Thursday, where they “met with the police and burned a number of police vehicles.”

Earlier, Fars and the rights group Hengaw reported the death of people in the town of Lordegan in Charmahal and Bakhtiari provinces. Authorities confirmed one death in the western city of Kuhdasht, while Hengaw reported another death in the central province of Isfahan.

Clashes between protesters and security forces mark a major escalation of unrest that has spread across the country since shopkeepers began protesting on Sunday over the government’s handling of inflation and rapid price hikes.

Protests spread across Iran

Fars reported that two people died in Lordenegan during a clash between the security forces and what they called armed protesters. Earlier it said that many people died. Hengaw said that many people were killed and injured there by the soldiers.

The Revolutionary Guards said a member of the Basij volunteer unit, Amirhossam Khodayari Fard, was killed in Kuhdasht, and 13 others were injured.

The Basij is a volunteer military force loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Security forces on Thursday accused those involved in the Kuhdasht riots of “taking advantage of popular protests.”

However, Hengaw said the man was protesting and was killed by security forces.

Hengaw also reported that a protester was shot dead on Wednesday in Isfahan province in central Iran.

Reuters could not immediately confirm any of those reports.

Protests also took place on Thursday in Marvdasht in the southern province of Fars, the activist news site HRANA reported. Hengaw said protesters were arrested on Wednesday in the western provinces of Kermanshah, Khuzestan and Hamedan.

Government shutdown

Iran’s clerical rulers are grappling with Western sanctions that have crippled an economy already reeling from inflation of more than 40 percent, compounded by Israeli and US airstrikes in June targeting the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile infrastructure and military leadership.

Tehran responded to the protests by offering dialogue alongside its security response.

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Thursday the authorities would hold a direct discussion with trade union representatives and vendors, but did not provide further details.

Merchants, shopkeepers and students at many Iranian universities have been protesting for days and closing down large shops. The government shut down much of the country on Wednesday by declaring a holiday due to the cold.

Authorities in recent years have cracked down on protests over issues ranging from high prices, drought, women’s rights and political freedoms, often with heavy security measures and mass arrests.

Iran’s economy has been struggling for years, mainly due to US and Western sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program. The regional unrest led to a 12-day war with Israel in June, further exacerbating the country’s financial crisis.

The Iranian rial lost almost half its value against the dollar in 2025, with official inflation reaching 42.5 percent in December.