Two confirmed fatalities as Iran protests escalate into a violent 'battlefield'
The ongoing protests in Iran, the largest in three years, entered their fifth day on Thursday, marked by deadly clashes between protesters and security forces. State-affiliated media confirmed at least two deaths, with witnesses and social media videos depicting protesters lying motionless after security forces opened fire.
Images received by The Guardian show two bodies with apparent pellet and bullet wounds, though the circumstances remain unverified. The Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights in Oslo reported one death from live ammunition before reaching medical facilities.
These tragic incidents occurred in the southwestern city of Lordegan. Activists and human rights groups warn of a brutal crackdown, as security forces continue to fire directly at protesters. An eyewitness described the scene as a 'battlefield' with merciless gunfire.
Ebrahim Eshaghi, an Iranian wrestler living in Germany, shared the plight of his hometown, Lordegan, where two young people have been killed and many injured. He appealed to the global community for support, denouncing the Islamic Republic as an enemy to all.
Video footage on social media captures security forces using gunfire against protesters, amidst smoke-filled streets and injured individuals being carried away. The protests, initially sparked by currency collapse in Tehran, have spread nationwide, with demonstrators chanting for economic justice and regime change.
Roya Boroumand, from the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, attributed the protests to the currency drop's impact on living costs. She highlighted the growing poverty and lack of hope among Iranians, fueled by state mismanagement, corruption, and oppressive policies.
The protests follow a year of record executions in Iran, with over 1,500 deaths in 2025, the highest since 1989. Human rights groups accuse the authorities of using the death penalty to instill fear and suppress dissent, with unfair trials and torture as common practices.
