Nationwide shutdown brought daily life nearly to a halt as protests swept across Iran, with businesses and government offices closed. A 21-year-old IRGC volunteer was reported killed in Kouhdasht — the first security-force fatality linked to the unrest. Video footage shows clashes in multiple cities and protesters storming a governor’s office; Reuters and opposition groups report IRGC forces firing during confrontations. The unrest — driven by inflation and economic hardship — coincides with key leadership changes, including a new central bank chief and an IRGC deputy commander appointment.
Nationwide Shutdown as Protests Sweep Iran; Protesters Storm Governor’s Office, Chant ‘Death to Khamenei’
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sitting next to a senior military official in Iran.
Iran slowed to a near standstill Wednesday as businesses, universities and government offices closed under a government-ordered shutdown amid widespread protests driven by mounting political and economic grievances.
Security Fatality Reported
Iranian state media reported that a 21-year-old volunteer member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed Wednesday in Kouhdasht, a city in Lorestan province about 250 miles west of Tehran. Officials described the death as the first security-force fatality linked to the protests.
"He was martyred … at the hands of rioters during protests in this city in defense of public order," Saeed Pourali, a deputy governor in Lorestan, told the Iranian Student News Network.
Clashes and Footage
Video circulating online and shared by the opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) shows intense clashes between demonstrators and security forces in several cities, including Shiraz, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Tehran and Fasa. Clips show protesters confronting security personnel, scenes of apparent gunfire, and crowds chanting anti-regime slogans.
Some footage captures protesters shouting "Death to the Dictator" and "Death to Khamenei!" while others show demonstrators battering the gates of a government complex in Fasa. Opposition groups reported that protesters stormed a provincial governor’s office, and Reuters cited accounts that IRGC forces opened fire during that incident.
Public Response and Government Measures
Military helicopters were seen flying over some cities, apparently to deter further unrest. Bazaar merchants in Kermanshah and other commercial districts became focal points for demonstrations, with videos showing tense confrontations between merchants and security forces.
The one-day shutdown covered 21 of Iran’s 31 provinces, including Tehran, as President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to contain public anger fueled by rising inflation, currency instability and deteriorating living standards. Demonstrations, strikes and clashes with security forces entered a fourth consecutive day across multiple cities.
Political Fallout
The unrest has coincided with several high-level leadership changes. President Pezeshkian appointed Abdolnaser Hemmati, a former economy minister, as the new head of Iran’s central bank after the resignation of Mohammad Reza Farzin. State media quoted the president warning that the central bank role was "extremely difficult and complex," and that Hemmati would face intense pressure amid ongoing economic turmoil.
Separately, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced the appointment of IRGC Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi as deputy commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards.
Reporting notes: The account above synthesizes statements from Iranian state media and IRNA, footage shared by MEK, and reporting from international news agencies such as Reuters. Some details, including casualty reports and claims about who fired shots, are based on early, often conflicting sources and may be subject to later confirmation.
