As Iran faces deteriorating economic conditions, anti-government protests have erupted across the country, protesting ongoing power shortages and food price hikes, videos obtained by Iran International show.
In Dehdasht, located in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, locals gathered for the fourth night in a row on Wednesday amid tight security measures.
Over the past three nights, protesters chanted slogans aimed at the Supreme Leader, including "Death to the dictator" and "This year is year of blood, Khamenei falls with a thud."
While government-affiliated media attempted to portray the unrest in Dehdasht as tribal conflicts, videos of the protests sent to Iran International reveal a focus on economic issues.
In response, authorities have conducted arrests, detaining at least six protesters, including two women, on Tuesday evening. In the preceding two nights, four more protesters had also been apprehended.
Iran International has identified five of the detainees as Atefeh Tahernia, Jaber Foroughi, Kamran Bouzari, Amirhossein Jafari, and Pouria Barati.
According to some posts on X, the youth of Dehdasht have called for continued protests and urged neighboring regions to join them, saying that "silence in the face of oppression is betrayal."
Videos sent by citizens from the four corners of the country show people in Shiraz, Yazd, Tehran, Parand, Shazand, Bukan, Hashtgerd, and Kamyaran chanting slogans in protest against repeated power outages.
In Arak, citizens once again gathered to protest air pollution. Due to its proximity to power plants and industrial centers, Arak has long suffered from air pollution, but conditions have worsened this year.
The protests coincide with the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, a time marked this year by economic instability. The national currency recently reached a record low, with the US dollar valued at 940,000 rials before experiencing a small rebound.
Citizens have been sending videos to Iran International voicing their grievances about power outages and accusing the government of waiting for the end of the ten-day revolution anniversary celebrations before resuming widespread cuts.
In a video, one citizen is heard sarcastically remarking that the blackouts represent the "peaks of progress that Mr. Khamenei shamelessly claimed we have reached."
Key items like rice, dairy products, and oil have experienced price increases of as much as 110% in the last year, intensifying the financial pressure on families.
Protests have also erupted in capital Tehran, where power outages have prompted night-time chants against the Islamic Republic.
On Tuesday, widespread blackouts in the capital were attributed to high gas consumption and limited supplies, forcing school, government offices closures across most of the provinces.
Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have praised Khamenei’s rejection of negotiations with the United States during recent 1979 Revolution anniversary celebrations.
