Iranian state television has confirmed the first officially acknowledged death linked to nationwide protests that erupted last week over rising living costs and economic hardship. A member of Iran’s security forces was killed during unrest in western Lorestan province, according to a regional official cited on Thursday (Jan 1).
State TV reported that a 21-year-old member of the Basij paramilitary force from the city of Kouhdasht was killed late Wednesday during clashes with demonstrators. The broadcaster quoted Said Pourali, deputy governor of Lorestan Province, as saying the young man died after being attacked by what officials described as “rioters” while attempting to maintain public order.
“This individual was killed while defending security during the unrest,” Pourali said. He added that 13 police officers and Basij members were injured during the demonstrations in Kouhdasht, largely due to stone-throwing by protesters.
The confirmation marks the first official fatality since protests began on Sunday. Demonstrations initially started peacefully in the capital, Tehran, where shopkeepers staged strikes to protest soaring prices, declining purchasing power, and prolonged economic stagnation. Over the following days, unrest spread to several other cities, gaining momentum after students at at least 10 universities joined demonstrations on Tuesday.
The Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force affiliated with Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is frequently deployed to help police protests and enforce public order. During previous waves of unrest, state media have routinely referred to demonstrators as “rioters” or agents of foreign influence, while opposition groups describe the protests as spontaneous expressions of economic frustration.
President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the depth of public discontent on Thursday, urging government officials to address worsening economic conditions. Speaking at an event broadcast on state television, Pezeshkian warned that failure to improve living standards would have grave moral consequences.
“From an Islamic perspective, if we do not resolve the issue of people’s livelihoods, we will end up in hell,” he said, in unusually blunt remarks that underscored mounting pressure on the administration.
Iran’s authorities declared Wednesday an unexpected bank holiday, officially citing the need to conserve energy during cold weather amid fuel shortages. While no official connection was made to the protests, the timing raised questions as demonstrations intensified in several cities. Iran’s weekend begins on Thursday, with Saturday being a long-standing national holiday, effectively limiting public activity for several days.
The country’s prosecutor general said on Wednesday that peaceful economic protests were legitimate but issued a stern warning against violence or unrest. “Any attempt to turn economic protests into a tool of insecurity, destruction of public property, or implementation of externally designed scenarios will inevitably be met with a legal, proportionate and decisive response,” he said.
State-linked Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday evening that seven individuals had been arrested for alleged ties to groups “hostile to the Islamic Republic” based in the United States and Europe. The report claimed they had been tasked with provoking violence during demonstrations, though it did not specify when the arrests took place or provide further details.
Iran’s economic troubles have deepened over the past year. The national currency, the rial, has lost more than one-third of its value against the US dollar, accelerating inflation and eroding household incomes. According to the Statistical Centre of Iran, the official inflation rate stood at 52 percent year-on-year in December, intensifying public frustration after years of high prices, sanctions-related pressure, and sluggish growth.
As protests continue to spread, the death of a security force member raises concerns that the unrest could escalate further, testing the government’s ability to contain demonstrations while addressing deep-rooted economic grievances.
