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.
Iranian leaders face pressure over a currency collapse and threats of possible military strikes from Israel and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear activities.
Days after a bombing at a mosque in a predominantly Alawite area, members of the religious minority in Syria demonstrated for better protections.
A concert hall canceled the performance several months ago but then reached a compromise in which three concerts will be held. The bargain hasn’t satisfied critics of the events.