Large marches against the government occurred despite an internet blackout and threats of a severe crackdown.
Protests have rocked Iran in recent weeks, and the country’s supreme leader has threatened to escalate a crackdown on demonstrators. Erika Solomon, our bureau chief for Iran and Iraq, discusses what’s fueling the protests with our senior writer Katrin …
As protests swelled around the country, Iran’s internet was shut down, and the heads of its judiciary and its security services warned of a harsh response amid calls for “freedom, freedom.”
Bazaars were shuttered and demonstrators met with violence from security forces amid rising anger about the country’s dire economic situation.
Rights groups accuse security forces of killing protesters and storming a hospital in the province of Ilam. State media claimed that some protesters were armed.
Officials said that leaders were in survival mode amid anti-government protests and the prospect of again coming into the cross hairs of Israel and the United States.
Galloping inflation, a currency crisis and anger at the regime have fueled demonstrations across the country.
Mr. Trump’s remarks that he was ready to come to the protesters’ “rescue” are a sharp escalation as protests over economic hardship turned deadly.
Financial pressures have fueled a fifth day of demonstrations around Iran, with at least one person killed in the protests so far, according to the authorities.
Amid mounting street protests, businesses, universities and government offices stayed closed Wednesday under government orders, in 21 of 31 provinces, including Tehran.