Abdanan and Malekshahi in the west of the country have effectively come under the control of protesters. People are celebrating in the streets, writes Fox News.
Illustrative photo. Photo: Fatemeh Bahrami / Anadolu via Getty Images
Protesters in Iran took control of the cities of Abdanan and Malekshahi in the west of the country. People are celebrating in the streets and chanting "Death to Khamenei!".
The National Council of Resistance of Iran announced the complete capture of the cities.
"Serious events took place today in two cities in western Iran, which were effectively captured, and people are now celebrating in the streets," Ali Safavi told Fox News.
Maryam Rajavi, the elected president of the National Council of Resistance, also published a post on X, welcoming the protesters in Malekshahi and Abdanan, who, according to her, "forced the regime's security forces to retreat."
Demonstrations, strikes, and street gatherings are also reported in dozens of cities across various provinces.
The Iranian agency Tasnim, in turn, denies that protesters gained control over Abdanan. According to its version, there was indeed a protest in the city, but it ended rather quickly. According to Tasnim, security forces used tear gas. After this, the protesters reportedly dispersed, and control over the central streets reverted to the security forces.
According to the latest data from the human rights organization HRANA, 36 people have died during nine days of protests in Iran, including 34 participants in street demonstrations and two security forces personnel. Additionally, at least 2076 people have been arrested.
Mass protests in Iran have been ongoing since December 28. They began in Tehran's main city bazaar, where many shop owners closed their businesses in protest against hyperinflation and sharp price fluctuations.
On December 29, the rial — Iran's national currency — fell to a new record low (one rial was approximately equal to 0.00002 euros). And in October, according to World Bank data, food inflation in Iran was 64.2% — a figure surpassed in this anti-rating only by South Sudan. The economic protest quickly turned into a protest against the ayatollah regime.
Comments
значыць пратэстоўцаў шмат, і ніхто іх не разагнаў.
Гэтак і Мінск быў "захоплены" тыдні два.