Security has been increased throughout Iran as protests entered their fourth day on Wednesday, with authorities stepping up measures to contain demonstrations spreading across multiple cities.
Despite many provinces being on an official shutdown due to cold weather and energy constraints, protesters gathered in the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Kermanshah, and Mashhad. Security forces were seen deploying covert units near protest sites in Mashhad, while videos from within Iran showed police and security officials positioning water cannons against demonstrators in Tehran.
Protests began after the bazaaris (merchant class) closed their shops on Sunday and took to the streets to protest the country’s dire financial situation. The market value of $1 reached 1.4 million rials, when its official value is 42,000 rials.
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref tendered his resignation on Wednesday amid the unrest, but President Masoud Pezeshkian declined to accept it, a senior adviser at the presidency confirmed, according to Iran International.
Iran’s prosecutor-general also warned on Wednesday that authorities would respond firmly if economic protests were transformed into unrest or attacks on public property.
Mohammad Movahedi-Azad said the protests, driven by economic hardship, were understandable and should be dealt with through lawful means. However, he cautioned against what he described as organized attempts to hijack legitimate grievances.
He said the state would not tolerate what he called the “systematic manipulation” of protests, citing the role of coordinated media activity, misleading narratives, and the involvement of individuals who disrupt public order.
Protests regarding ongoing financial situation
Meanwhile, four students from the University of Tehran arrested on Tuesday were released late that night, the university announced on Wednesday afternoon. Mohammad-Reza Taghidokht, executive deputy of the university president’s office, told the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) that all four detained students had been freed by authorities.Amid the nationwide unrest, rumors also circulated that a protester had become the first fatality of the demonstrations. Reports initially claimed that 18-year-old Mehdi Samavati had been shot and killed by security officials in the southern city of Fasa. However, sources told The Jerusalem Post that such claims were false.
A video later emerged that reportedly showed Samavati alive. It is believed that the Iranian regime deliberately spread news of his death in an attempt to sow fear among the protesters.
The reports were also disputed by a senior judicial official in Fasa. According to Iranian media, Hamed Ostovar, head of Fasa’s justice department, denied that anyone had been killed during the unrest while confirming that arrests and injuries had occurred.
“The claim is not true and is only a rumor,” Ostovar said.
He did, however, acknowledge that images circulating online showed alleged damage to part of the governor’s office.
“During the incident and after police entered the area, four of the attackers were arrested,” he said, adding that three police officers were injured.
Residents of Fasa, which has a population of 11,000, gathered outside the governor’s office and other official buildings to protest Iran’s worsening financial situation, witnesses said. Some demonstrators were heard chanting slogans critical of the Islamic Republic during the gathering.
A video carried by state media showed a group of people trying to break open the gate of the building. Reuters verified the location of the footage but was not able to independently verify the timing.
The governor of Fasa told state media that "the protests were caused by inflation and economic conditions. Individuals influenced by hostile channels and media participated in them... the situation is back to normal."
Iranian authorities have responded to previous protests over issues ranging from prices, drought, women's rights and political freedoms with forceful security measures and extensive arrests.
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