The situation in Iran continues to escalate: the authorities have effectively lost control over the city of Abdanan, located in the west of the country. Western media report that protests in this area are taking place without interference from law enforcement, and local residents are actively documenting their actions, as CNN reports.
Abdanan is located in the Iranian province of Ilam, not far from the border with Iraq. According to opposition sources, it is in this city that protesters have managed to drive out security forces. The situation is similar in the neighboring Malekshahi, as this channel specifies.
A representative of the council, Ali Safavi, noted that the protesters have succeeded in pushing back the security forces and have taken control of the streets. The leader of the Iranian opposition, Maryam Rajavi, expressed public support for the demonstrators and thanked them for pressuring the regime.
However, Iranian authorities have denied reports that protesters have seized the cities of Abdanan and Malekshahi, as stated by a local political activist.
Government officials claim that most of the protesters are acting peacefully. However, in some regions, security measures have been intensified, reports the Mehr agency.
Protests have spread across dozens of Iranian cities since late December. The main reasons for people taking to the streets include the collapse of the Iranian rial and inflation reaching nearly 50%. Western sanctions and the consequences of the war with Israel continue to negatively impact the country's economy. According to human rights defenders, the protests have already claimed the lives of dozens of people and led to the arrest of over a thousand, although the official authorities in Tehran do not confirm this information.
In response to the protests, security forces are using tear gas, violently dispersing crowds, and restricting internet access. In Malekshahi, near a military facility, security forces opened fire, resulting in the deaths of at least three people, CNN reports.
In Tehran, protesters paralyzed the operations of the Grand Bazaar, closing shops and clashing with police. People chanted slogans for freedom and accused the authorities of disgrace. Similar actions took place in cities such as Kermanshah, Lorestan, Mashhad, and Hamadan.
The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, stated that the protesters "will be put in their place" and promised not to show mercy to the rebels. Against this backdrop, U.S. President Donald Trump warned of possible use of force in the event of a brutal crackdown on the protests, to which Tehran responded with accusations against the West of attempting to destabilize the country.
