Iran protests over economic collapse leave at least 36 dead amid U.S. threats

Violent protests across Iran over the country’s weakening economy have now stretched beyond ten days, killing at least 36 people, Time reports. Among the dead are four children and at least two members of Iran’s security forces, according to rights groups. The demonstrations have spread to more than 200 locations across 26 of Iran’s 31 provinces since last week, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported, and HRANA has documented more than 2,000 arrests; Iranian officials have not released their own comprehensive casualty or arrest figures.

Sanctions tied to Iran’s nuclear program, the lingering economic damage of a 12-day war last summer with Israel and the United States during which U.S. forces struck key Iranian nuclear sites, and long-standing corruption and mismanagement have battered the economy, and the rial has collapsed to roughly 1.4 million to the dollar, fueling inflation that has put basic goods out of reach for many.

Iranian leaders have responded with warnings and limited relief: the judiciary chief said there would be “no leniency” for those he accused of aiding Iran’s enemies, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said “rioters must be put in their place,” and the government announced a small monthly food subsidy of about $7 per household for more than 70 million people.

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World, Iran, Rial, Ali Khamenei, Donald Trump, Hrana