Police officer killed in western Iran amid anti-government protests

By Rania Abushamala

ISTANBUL (AA) – A police officer was killed on Tuesday in clashes with armed protesters in western Iran, local media reported.

The semi-official Fars news agency said the officer was fatally wounded by a direct gunshot during protests in the city of Malekshahi in Ilam province.

According to the Tasnim news agency, at least 568 police officers and 66 members of the volunteer security forces known as the Basij were injured in clashes with protesters since last week.

The anti-government protests first began last month in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar – the heart of the capital’s business activity – and have since spread to several other cities.

Western cities have been the most affected, with angry protesters even attacking public infrastructure and police stations and engaging in pitched street battles.

At the core of the unrest is the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial, which has fallen to an unprecedented low of 1,390,000 rials per US dollar. This currency collapse has triggered record inflation and soaring prices for essential goods and housing.