Protesters in Iran have attempted to breach a local government building in the southern province of Fars, marking a fourth day of demonstrations fueled by the ongoing collapse of the national currency.
According to officials, three police officers sustained injuries, and four individuals were arrested during the upheaval in the city of Fasa.
Additionally, reports indicate confrontations have arisen in the western provinces of Hamedan and Lorestan.
In an effort to control the unrest, officials in Tehran declared a bank holiday, purportedly to save energy during the cold weather, but many perceive it as a tactic to suppress these protests.
Social media has been awash with videos confirming the unrest, including footage of crowds dismantling the gate of Fasa's governor's office, with security forces responding by firing shots and deploying tear gas amid rising tensions.
As protests flared from Tehran on Sunday, they were initially driven by shopkeepers frustrated by the plummeting value of the Iranian currency against the US dollar. By Tuesday, university students had joined the protests, spreading further and directing chants against the clerical leadership controlling the nation.
The scale of these protests, while significant, is not as extensive as the wave of unrest from 2022, which erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for alleged dress code violations.
Following the initial wave of demonstrations, the Iranian government is now increasing security across Tehran and other areas where protests have taken place. President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed a willingness to address the legitimate demands of the protesters, while the prosecutor general, Mohammad Movahedi-Azad, has cautioned that actions leading to instability will be met with severe consequences.
