Iran Protests Turn Deadly: 27 Killed as Clashes Erupt in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar

27 Dead as Anti-Khamenei Protests Turn Violent in Tehran, Clashes at Grand Bazaar.

At least 27 people, including five minors, have been killed in Iran as anti-Khamenei protests over soaring prices and a collapsing currency escalate, with clashes breaking out at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar. Security forces used tear gas to disperse demonstrators, according to reports verified by AFP. Iranian authorities said members of the security forces have also died, including a policeman shot on Tuesday.

The protests, described as the most serious in three years, began December 28 after merchants shut down Tehran’s key economic hub and quickly spread to western provinces, particularly areas with Kurdish and Lor populations. Demonstrators reportedly chanted slogans such as “Pahlavi will return” and “Seyyed Ali will be overthrown”, calling for an end to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rule.

The Iran Human Rights (IHR) organization reported over 1,000 arrests nationwide and alleged lethal force was used in multiple provinces. In Ilam alone, at least six protesters were killed, with reports of hospitals being raided to detain the injured. Amnesty International condemned the crackdown, saying it shows how far Iranian authorities are willing to go to crush dissent.

The unrest comes amid a deepening economic crisis, with the Iranian rial plummeting to 1.47 million rials per dollar, worsening public anger despite modest relief measures announced by President Masoud Pezeshkian.