Four Kurdish protesters killed in Iran's Kurdistan: rights groups

ILAM,—At least four Kurdish protesters were killed on Saturday in Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhelat), western Iran, during clashes between protesters and security forces, rights groups said, as demonstrations driven by economic grievances continued across the country for a seventh consecutive day.

The Norway based Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported that members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps opened fire on demonstrators in the Malekshahi district of Ilam province.

According to the group, four people from Iran’s Kurdish minority were killed during the incident. Hengaw said it was reviewing unconfirmed reports suggesting that two additional people may have died and that dozens more were wounded.

Iran Human Rights, another Norway based rights group, also said at least four people were killed and around 30 others injured after what it described as an attack by security forces on protesters in Malekshahi.

The organization said it had received video footage showing bodies on the ground, though it said the material could not be independently verified and the exact number of casualties remained unclear.

Iranian state media presented a different account of the events. Mehr news agency reported that a member of the Revolutionary Guards, identified as Latif Karimi, was killed during unrest in Malekshahi after what it described as an attempt by rioters to enter a police station.

Fars news agency separately said two assailants were killed during the same incident, adding that security forces were responding to violent actions.

The protests began last week following a shutdown by shopkeepers in Tehran’s central bazaar, an influential economic and commercial center.

Demonstrations later spread to other regions and universities, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction over rising prices, inflation, and economic stagnation in the Islamic republic.

Activists say the current unrest represents the most serious wave of protests since the nationwide movement of 2022 and 2023, which authorities quelled through a security crackdown that, according to rights groups, left hundreds dead and thousands arrested.

An AFP tally based on official statements and Iranian media reports said protests have affected at least 30 cities across the country, most of them medium sized.

According to official figures cited by state media, at least 12 people, including members of the security forces, have been killed since Wednesday during clashes linked to the demonstrations.

The US based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported a wider scale of unrest, saying protests were recorded at 174 locations in 60 cities across 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces over the past seven days.

The group said at least 582 people were arrested during that period and that at least 15 protesters were killed. It was not possible to independently verify those figures.

Iranian officials have acknowledged the economic roots of the protests while warning against what they describe as violence and disorder. Speaking to worshippers gathered in Tehran for a Shiite religious occasion, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the economic demands raised by protesters were justified.

“The shopkeepers have protested against this situation and that is completely fair,” Khamenei said, according to state media, referring to merchants affected by economic pressure and sanctions.

At the same time, he warned that authorities would take a firm stance against unrest. He said dialogue was possible with protesters but not with those he labeled as rioters, adding that such individuals must be confronted by security forces.

Iranian media have reported additional incidents linked to the protests in recent days. Mehr news agency said a member of the Basij paramilitary force was killed in western Iran during another protest after being stabbed and shot by what it described as armed rioters.

Tasnim news agency reported that a man was killed on Friday in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, when a grenade he was attempting to use exploded in his hands, citing a local official.

Tasnim also reported that a 17 year old boy wounded by gunfire during protests connected to Qom later died from his injuries.

State media coverage of the demonstrations has remained limited and often focuses on incidents of violence or damage to property. Officials have not released comprehensive casualty figures, and local media do not necessarily report every incident.

At the same time, videos circulating on social media appear to show clashes between protesters and security forces in several cities. Many of these recordings are difficult to verify independently, and access to information remains restricted.

The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Mai Sato, said on Friday that reports indicated growing confrontations between protesters and security forces. She warned that the violent response witnessed during the 2022 and 2023 protests must not be repeated.

While the demonstrations are smaller than those sparked by the death in custody of Kurdish woman Mahsa Jina Amini in 2022, observers say the current unrest reflects persistent economic pressure and public frustration.

Iran also experienced nationwide protests in late 2019 over fuel price increases, which later expanded into broader political demands.

Authorities have continued to stress that economic concerns will be addressed while warning that instability and chaos will not be tolerated as protests continue in several parts of the country.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States could take steps to support protesters in Iran if Iranian security forces were to use live ammunition against demonstrators.

(With files from AFP)