Friday, January 2, 2026 - Several people have been killed in Iran after cost-of-living protests turned deadly, marking the most serious unrest the country has seen in three years.
Protests that began on Sunday among shopkeepers and traders
in Tehran over the sharp fall in the value of the national currency have spread
to other groups and regions, reaching a violent climax overnight into Thursday.
Iranian media and a Kurdish rights group reported that
clashes erupted in the western city of Lordegan between security forces and
protesters. A source cited by the semi-official Fars news agency claimed
multiple people were killed during confrontations with what it described as
armed protesters.
The rights group Hengaw said security forces opened fire on
demonstrators in Lordegan, killing and wounding several people. Authorities
also confirmed one death in the western city of Kuhdasht, while Hengaw reported
another fatal shooting in the central province of Isfahan.
The violence represents a significant escalation in protests
driven by soaring inflation, a weakening currency and worsening economic
conditions. Earlier in the week, authorities had unusually suggested the
possibility of opening a “dialogue mechanism” with protesters
Today DAY 5 #IranProtests
— Omid Djalili (@omid9) January 1, 2026
Unconfirmed reports some protesters are now armed and using protective gear (or possibly some regime forces have joined the people) in running battles, seen here in Nahavand, Hamadan province. Despite regime videos circling threatening protesters with… pic.twitter.com/O6fSB89WjG
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