Nationwide antigovernment protests in Iran enter third night amid rising death reports

Nationwide antigovernment protests in Iran entered a third night as witnesses and videos verified by The New York Times showed large crowds in Tehran and other cities amid an intensified government crackdown and reports of a rising death toll. A Tehran resident who gave only her first name, Parisa, said security agents opened fire on a man and his teenage son during a peaceful march, killing the father, and described widespread fear even as people continued to protest.

Videos verified by The Times showed thousands in Heravi Square chanting slogans such as “Death to the dictator,” and footage of armed men firing weapons in Zahedan and on motorcycles in Kazerun. Iran’s Telecommunication Ministry said security officials had shut down the internet because of the “situation unfolding in the country.” Human rights groups gave differing casualty counts: Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch last reported 28 deaths as of Thursday, while HRANA and the Iran Human Rights Center put the tally at about 70, including minors and roughly 20 members of the security forces.

The Iran Human Rights Center also said a 23-year-old student, Rubina Aminian, was shot in the head in Marivan, and its director said hospitals were running out of blood and emergency rooms were overwhelmed. Iranian state media said a provincial deputy governor, Farajollah Shooshtari, had been killed, and Tehran’s mayor accused “rioters” of attacking and burning public buildings.

Key Topics

World, Iran, Tehran, Zahedan, Kazerun, Marivan