Demonstrations over economic conditions are ongoing in Kurdish regions of Iran, with authorities using force to disperse protesters despite calls for a general strike. Protesters have taken to the streets across Kurdish cities, shutting down stores and voicing opposition to government corruption.
Protests Spread Across Iran
People report being met with tear gas, pellet guns, and what demonstrators claim are live bullets fired by authorities. A 35-year-old female protester in Kermanshah described a violent scene, stating, “They are killing us. They’re showing no mercy. In Kermanshah, we’ve all come out, we’re all under pressure. At noon in the square they beat a woman so badly she couldn’t stand up. I’m begging all the people of Iran, let’s all rise up together,” as gunfire crackled in the background.
The demonstrations, initially sparked by a decline in the value of the Iranian rial, have entered their 11th day and are expanding across the country. While growing in size, they have not yet reached the scale of the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests, which erupted after the 22-year-old woman died in police custody.
The protests, initially led by traders, have broadened to address public grievances towards the government, particularly in response to its intensifying crackdown. Videos have emerged showing students at Kermanshah University calling for the return of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former shah of Iran, and protesters resisting tear gas deployed by authorities.
Seven Iranian Kurdish opposition parties have called for a general strike on Thursday, a call echoed by Pahlavi for unified protests nationwide. Hiwa Bahrami, the head of foreign relations for the Democratic party of Iranian Kurdistan, stated, “[The strike] will send an important signal to the entire country: that the resistance in Kurdistan is standing strong and that people are ready to continue. This is a peaceful action, and we sincerely hope that people will not be attacked.”
Eyewitnesses from Kermanshah have reported security forces shooting at protesters, a claim confirmed by the Norway-based Hengaw organisation for human rights, which documented the use of Kalashnikov rifles against protesters on Wednesday.
At least 36 people, including four children and two members of Iran’s security forces, have been killed in the violence surrounding the protests, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana). The agency reports over 2,100 arrests, including a surge in detentions of Kurdish protesters on Wednesday.
Iran’s government has adopted a dual approach, offering dialogue and economic reform while security forces maintain a firm stance. President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered investigations into videos showing security forces raiding a hospital in Ilam, and the government announced a doubling of a state subsidy for breadwinners, providing £5.20 a month to ease the burden of rising prices.
However, the head of Iran’s army warned the military would take pre-emptive action if international powers threatened to intervene, responding to a statement from US President Donald Trump last week offering support to protesters.
The economic conditions that initially triggered the protests continue to worsen. Iran’s currency is depreciating, and traders warn of soaring prices following the government’s cancellation of a preferential exchange rate program for importers and producers. The nation’s currency has lost two-thirds of its value in the last three years, while food prices have increased by 72% over the past year.
The government acknowledges the economic hardship but blames external factors and calls for measures to combat corruption and price-gouging. Vice-president Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah stated on Wednesday that Iran is in a “full-fledged economic war.”
Despite the escalating violence, protesters intend to continue demonstrating and respond to calls for protests. Families of those killed during the 2022 protests report being instructed by intelligence services not to participate in tomorrow’s demonstrations. “They are shooting at anyone and everyone. We are united with the rest of the people across [Iran]. They stood by us in 2022 and will stand by them this time. Tomorrow is the day all the Kurdish people will be on the streets,” said a protester from Kermanshah, speaking under a pseudonym.
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