Protests in Iran spread to the capital Tehran as clashes intensify in western regions, with at least 12 reported dead amid economic and political demands.
TEHRAN: Sporadic protests broke out in the Iranian capital on Saturday evening, according to local media.
The Fars news agency described the Tehran demonstrations as “limited” and “generally made up of groups of 50 to 200 young people”.
Demonstrations were reported in several districts across the city of 10 million people, including in the east, west and south.
Demonstrators shouted slogans including “death to the dictator”, Fars said, with minor incidents of stone throwing and bins set alight reported.
The agency said the situation in Tehran “contrasted with an intensification of violence and organised attacks in other regions, notably the country’s west”.
In Malekshahi county, a member of the security forces was killed in clashes on Saturday, Iranian media reported.
Fars said “riotiers attempted to storm a police station” and that “two assailants were killed”.
The protests first began last Sunday with shopkeepers striking over economic concerns but have since grown in size and scope to include political demands.
An AFP tally based on official announcements and media reports indicates the unrest has affected at least 40 different cities, mostly medium-sized and in the west.
At least 12 people have been killed, including security force members, according to a toll based on official reports.
Local media’s accounting is not exhaustive, with state-run outlets downplaying coverage and social media videos often impossible to verify.
