Shahin Dehghan, a member of the police force in Malard county west of Tehran, “was martyred a few hours ago after being stabbed during efforts to control unrest”, Fars news agency reported, adding that efforts to identify the perpetrators are underway.
Unrest broke out on Dec 28 after merchants in Tehran staged a protest against rising prices and the collapse of the rial, triggering a wave of similar actions in other cities.
Today, the US dollar was trading at above 1.4 million rials while the euro stood at over €1.7 million mark, according to websites tracking unofficial exchange rates.
Since their outbreak, the demonstrations have spread to 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to an AFP tally based on official statements and local media.
Clashes have killed dozens of people, including members of the security forces, according to official media.
It is Iran’s biggest protest movement since the 2022-2023 rallies sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women.
The demonstrations have yet to reach the scale of that movement, let alone that of mass 2009 street protests that followed disputed elections.
However, they have presented a new challenge for Iran’s leadership against the backdrop of an economic crisis and following the war with Israel last year.
Iranian officials have acknowledged the protesters’ economic demands but have warned against “rioting” and vowed a “decisive response” to any attempt to create instability.
Local media has reported multiple arrests of “rioters” since the outbreak of the protests, though no official figure has yet been announced.
On Wednesday, Iran’s foreign ministry condemned what it called “meddlesome and deceptive remarks by US officials regarding Iran’s internal developments”.
Its statement, which did not name any specific American official, came after US senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News: “To the people of Iran: We stand with you tonight”.
Graham also warned Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that US President Donald Trump would kill him “if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life”.
Trump had warned on Sunday that Tehran would “get hit very hard” if more demonstrators were killed.
The Iranian foreign ministry said the US line on the protests was not born from a concern for the Iranian people, but was “in line with the policy of maximum pressure, threats and interference in Iran’s internal affairs”.
It also blamed US sanctions for “a major part of” Iran’s economic problems.