The main reason for the discontent has been sharp inflation and the fall of the Iranian rial against the US dollar, which has increased by about 80% over the year. Initially, the protests were of an economic nature, but soon the demands of the participants became political, including calls for the abolition of the Islamic Republic and the restoration of the monarchy.
Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, called on protesters to seize and hold key points in the cities.
According to the human rights organization Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), the number of fatalities among protesters has reached about 50 people, including nine children, as well as 15 security personnel. More than 2,311 people have been arrested.
The organization Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), based in Norway, also confirms the information about 50 fatalities. Due to the increasing number of casualties, Farabi Hospital, the main ophthalmology center in Tehran, has been forced to switch to crisis mode, as emergency services have become overwhelmed. Doctors have been urgently called to work, and planned hospitalizations and surgeries have been temporarily suspended.
