What’s Driving Massive Protests in Iran That Have Left 7 Dead?

written by Madhuri Adnal Thu Jan 01, 10:35 pm Source

International

-Madhuri Adnal

Updated: Friday, January 2, 2026, 9:05 [IST]

At least seven people have reportedly died in Iran as anger over surging prices and a weak economy spills into the streets, with protests in several rural provinces leading to clashes between demonstrators and security forces. While rallies in Tehran have eased, unrest has spread to smaller cities, suggesting a tougher response by authorities to criticism of Iran's Islamic system led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Alongside the fatalities, Iranian authorities in Tehran have intensified policing of dissent. Officials said security and intelligence units carried out a coordinated overnight operation in the Malard district in western Tehran, where protests over high prices continued. According to the Tasnim news agency, 30 people accused of “disturbing public order” were identified and arrested during that sweep.

Iran is experiencing protests due to rising prices and economic issues, with at least seven reported deaths in cities like Azna and Lordegan, while security forces have responded with arrests and tear gas; the unrest began on December 27, 2025, spreading from Tehran to other provinces.

What’s Driving Massive Protests in Iran That Have Left 7 Dead?

Nationwide Iran protests over prices and economy

The current Iran protests, driven by the cost of living, are the largest since 2022, when demonstrations erupted nationwide after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody. Amini had been detained over the way the hijab, or headscarf, was worn. The present unrest has not yet reached the same scale, nor the intensity seen after Amini’s death.

The new wave of Iran protests began on Sunday, 27 December 2025, in Tehran, when shopkeepers reportedly shut their businesses in a strike over high prices and economic stagnation. The movement then spread into other provinces over the next days, particularly into rural and smaller urban areas, where anger over inflation and unemployment had already been building.

Casualties and city-by-city impact of Iran protests

According to an Associated Press report, the seven deaths linked to these Iran protests occurred across four cities with large populations from Iran’s Lur ethnic group. Two people died on Wednesday and five on Thursday. The worst violence so far centred on Azna in Lorestan province, located around 300 kilometres, or 185 miles, southwest of Tehran.

Online clips from Azna appeared to show burning objects scattered across streets, gunfire sounds echoing, and people shouting “Shameless! Shameless!” as clashes intensified. The semiofficial Fars news agency reported three deaths in that city. Activists and local media suggested the security response there was among the harshest seen during the current Iran protests.

Further unrest hit Lordegan in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, around 470 kilometres, or 290 miles, south of Tehran. Videos from Lordegan showed crowds blocking roads and gathering on main streets as the noise of gunfire rang out in the background. Visual details in the footage matched known features of the city, helping to verify the location.

Fars, citing an unnamed official speaking about the Iran protests in Lordegan, said: "Some protesters began throwing stones at the city's administrative buildings, including the provincial governor's office, the mosque, the Martyrs' Foundation, the town hall and banks," adding that officers responded by firing tear gas. It also reported the buildings were “severely damaged” and that police detained several alleged “ringleaders”.

City	Province	Reported deaths	Key details
Azna	Lorestan	3	Streets ablaze, gunfire heard, crowds shouting “Shameless! Shameless!”
Lordegan	Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari	2	Stones thrown at official buildings; police used tear gas
Kouhdasht	Lorestan	1 security force member	Basij member killed during clashes, according to officials
Fuladshahr	Isfahan	1	Death blamed by activists on police firing at protesters

Security forces, casualties and arrests in Iran protests

Iran’s state television reported that the Iran protests also turned deadly for the security forces. It said one member of the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force linked to the Revolutionary Guards, died in Kouhdasht in Lorestan province. The channel quoted Lorestan deputy governor Said Pourali describing the victim as "a 21-year-old member of the Basij from the city of Kouhdasht" who was killed while "defending public order".

Unrest and Iran protests were also reported in Fuladshahr in Isfahan province, where state media acknowledged a man’s death. Activist groups claimed the person was shot when police opened fire on demonstrators. In Kouhdasht, more than 400 kilometres, or 250 miles, southwest of Tehran, local prosecutor Kazem Nazari told the judiciary’s Mizan news agency that 20 people were arrested and that calm had been restored.

Chants, slogans and online videos from Iran protests

Video clips from various Iran protests showed demonstrators chanting against the clerical establishment. Crowds shouted slogans including "Until the mullah is shrouded, this homeland will not be free" and "Mullahs must leave Iran". These chants were heard in several locations and echoed demands raised in earlier protest waves against Iran’s Islamic political system.

One clip from Azna captured people yelling “Shameless! Shameless!” as fires burned in the streets. Another video from Tehran showed vendors at the central fruit and vegetable market gathering to protest rising costs. Security forces reportedly fired tear gas at multiple sites as the Iran protests continued across provinces such as Fars, Lordegan and Kermanshah.

15/ Protest activity continued today in parts of Iran, including Fars Province, Lordegan & Kermanshah, according to social media videos.In Tehran, vendors at the central fruit & vegetable market gathered in protest.Security forces reportedly used tear gas at multiple sites. pic.twitter.com/tCy3xUna3N— Sina Toossi (@SinaToossi) January 1, 2026

Masih Alinejad’s coverage of Iran protests on social media

Iranian-American journalist and author Masih Alinejad posted several clips from the Iran protests on X, the platform previously called Twitter. One video focused on demonstrations in Babol, where young people targeted symbols of the state. "Youth in Babol Burn the Islamic Republic's Flag in the Streets Young people in Babol set the Islamic Republic's flag on fire in the middle of the street. They chant: "Until the mullah is shrouded, this homeland will not be free," she wrote.

Youth in Babol Burn the Islamic Republic's Flag in the StreetsYoung people in Babol set the Islamic Republic's flag on fire in the middle of the street. They chant:"Until the mullah is shrouded, this homeland will not be free."#Iran pic.twitter.com/KE48HbKVSg— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) January 1, 2026

In another post on the Iran protests, Alinejad highlighted the scale of the chants directed at Iran’s ruling clerics and political leaders. "Many videos are coming in from Iran, showing people chanting in unison in the streets: "Mullahs must leave Iran" and "Death to the dictatorship."This is the voice of a people who do not want the Islamic Republic.Hear the voices of unarmed people who have taken to the streets.…" she wrote, urging global attention.

Many videos are coming in from Iran, showing people chanting in unison in the streets: "Mullahs must leave Iran" and "Death to the dictatorship."This is the voice of a people who do not want the Islamic Republic.Hear the voices of unarmed people who have taken to the streets.… pic.twitter.com/yNIqkTViOu— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) December 29, 2025

Government, economy and nuclear context around Iran protests

Iran’s civilian administration, led by reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, has been trying to respond to the Iran protests with both dialogue and warnings. Pezeshkian said protesters have "legitimate demands" and urged officials to act on economic grievances. Yet Pezeshkian also admitted that the government’s room to manoeuvre is limited by the currency’s sharp fall and international sanctions.

"From an Islamic perspective... if we do not resolve the issue of people's livelihoods, we will end up in Hell," Pezeshkian said in remarks carried on state television. Iran’s rial has weakened rapidly, with $1 now costing about 1.4 million rials. Official data from the Statistical Centre of Iran showed annual inflation reaching 52 per cent in December, worsening pressure on households.

While speaking about the Iran protests, authorities have also pledged a "firm" stance and warned against groups they accuse of exploiting the unrest to stir chaos. State-linked media outlets have covered the demonstrations differently, with some focusing on hardship and others stressing damage blamed on “troublemakers”. Reports said the government declared a public holiday across much of the country on Wednesday, citing cold weather, which may also encourage residents to travel outside Tehran for a long weekend.

The Iran protests are unfolding as the country’s leaders still feel the impact of a 12-day war with Israel in June, during which the United States bombed Iranian nuclear facilities. Iranian officials stated that uranium enrichment has stopped at all domestic sites, saying this shows openness to possible talks on the nuclear programme in return for easing sanctions. However, negotiations have not resumed, with US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning Tehran against rebuilding its atomic capacity.

The latest Iran protests, rooted in economic strain but carrying strong slogans against clerical rule, underscore both public frustration and the government’s constrained position. Casualties across several cities, arrests in Tehran and calls for a tougher security response reveal how fragile the situation remains, even as some officials speak of reform and renewed negotiations abroad.