A paramilitary soldier was killed in Iran on Wednesday evening (31), after days of protests against high inflation, during the largest wave of protests in the country since major national mobilizations three years ago. The information was confirmed by national television this Thursday (1st).
State media said the person killed was a member of the Basij paramilitary militia, often deployed to quell protests, and identified him as Amirhossam Khodayari Fard, 21. Reuters was unable to independently confirm this information.
The incident in Kuhdasht, Lorestan province, marks an escalation in protests that have spread across the country since traders began demonstrations on Sunday (28) against inflation and sharp exchange rate fluctuations.
Protests took place Thursday in Marvdasht, Fars province, activist news site Hrana reported, and rights group Hengaw said protesters were arrested Wednesday in Kermanshah, Khuzestan and Hamedan provinces.
Pressure on the regime
These episodes come at a delicate time for the Tehran regime, under the impact of Western sanctions on a high-inflation economy and after Israeli and American airstrikes in June against the country’s nuclear infrastructure and its military leadership.
Tehran responded to the protests by offering dialogue, a more conciliatory approach than that taken during previous social unrest, although activists also reported the heavy presence of police on the streets.
Regime spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said authorities would speak directly with representatives of unions and traders, without providing details.
The activist Hrana news agency said Wednesday evening that there was a heavy presence of security forces in towns, with arrests, shootings and clashes in some areas. State media said students were arrested and then released during the protests.
The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary force loyal to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which said in a statement that 13 militia members had been injured.
Many Iranians have disputed authorities’ account of the incident on social media, and a widely shared video appears to show protesters trying to load an injured person into an ambulance. Reuters was unable to verify its contents.
The Revolutionary Guards’ statement accuses those involved in the protests in Kuhdasht of “taking advantage of the atmosphere of popular protest.”
Traders, traders and students from different Iranian universities have been protesting for days and closing large bazaars. The regime paralyzed part of the country on Wednesday by declaring a public holiday due to the cold.
In recent years, authorities have cracked down on protests over rising prices, a severe drought gripping the country, women’s rights and political freedoms, with tight security measures and mass arrests.
In an unusual response to the most recent protests, the country’s president, Massoud Pezeshkian, said he had asked the interior minister to listen to the protesters’ “legitimate demands.”
Iran’s economy has been struggling for years due to U.S. and Western sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program. Regional tensions led to a 12-day war with Israel in June, further straining the country’s finances.
The Iranian rial has lost about half its value against the dollar in 2025, with inflation reaching 42.5% in December.
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