At least 16 dead in Iran amid widespread inflation protests
At least 16 people have died during a week of protests across Iran, rights groups report, as citizens rally against soaring inflation. Clashes between demonstrators and security forces have spread across multiple provinces.
Figures vary: Kurdish group Hengaw reported 17 deaths, while HRANA, a rights network, confirmed 16 killed and 582 arrests. Iranian state media also reported casualties, though numbers differ, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
President Masoud Pezeshkian urged authorities to handle protesters with a “kind and responsible” approach, marking a rare conciliatory tone from Iranian officials amid the largest unrest in three years.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned of potential intervention, saying forces are “locked and loaded,” prompting threats of retaliation from Iranian leaders. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasized that Iran “will not yield to the enemy.”
The protests highlight the Islamic Republic’s growing economic struggles and rising domestic and international pressure.
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