Protests in Iran. Demonstrators attacked the government headquarters in Fasa

The government building in the southern city of Fasa was attacked on Wednesday, the fourth day of protests in Iran, the AFP news agency reported, citing the Mizan judicial website. The 28-year-old leader of the attack was detained.

– The entrance gate to the provincial government building was damaged as a result of an attack carried out by several people, said Hamed Ostowar, head of the judiciary in the city of Fasa. Four attackers have been arrested, he said.

Ostowar denied that one of the attackers was killed, but stated that three policemen were injured.

Information appeared on the Internet that an 18-year-old man was shot during the incident, added the Iran International website. He emphasized that journalists obtained numerous recordings that had not been verified, but which could prove that security forces used weapons in the city.

A few hours earlier, Iranian Attorney General Mohammad Mowahedi-Azad announced that the justice system would show “firmness” if anti-inflation protests in Iran were used to “destabilize” the country. The conservative daily “Kayhan” stated that foreign instigators were behind the protests.

The first demonstrations took place on Sunday, when shopkeepers from Tehran's Grand Bazaar closed their shops in protest against high prices and the collapse of the local currency.

There is an ongoing economic crisis in Iran, which has intensified since sanctions related to Tehran's nuclear program were re-imposed on the country. Electricity shortages are common, as are water shortages, caused by both drought and water-intensive farming. At the same time, Iran incurs significant expenses to finance the so-called axis of resistance – a number of pro-Shiite, anti-Israel armed groups operating in the Middle East. The inflation rate, calculated since December last year, exceeded 50 percent, and food prices increased by 72 percent, the Euronews portal reported.

On Sunday, President Masud Pezeszkian presented the budget assumptions for 2026 in parliament. The project assumes a 20% wage increase and tax increase by 62%. – Al-Jazeera reported. (PAP)

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