Two killed after police open fire at demonstrators in Iran’s Zahedan: Activists

Iranian security forces opened fire on protesters on Friday in a city in the country's southeast that has been experiencing instability for weeks as a result of nationwide demonstrations. They claimed that at least two peoplewere shotin the incident in Zahedan, which threatened to exacerbate existing tensions.

Zahedan, a city in Iran's long-unrestful Sistan and Baluchestan province, has so far witnessed the deadliest violence in the weeks of protests that have engulfed the country. The protests in the city coincided with those that erupted across the majority of the nation in September following the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, and were sparked in part by allegations of rape made against a senior police officer there.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Since a rally there on September 30 sparked a deadly police response, activists believe that approximately 100 people have died in Zahedan alone.

Since the 2009 Green Movement protests, which were centred on women's rights and the state-mandated headscarf, or hijab, the nationwide demonstrations have grown to become the biggest threat to Iran's theocratic government. They now call for the removal of Shiite clerics who have ruled the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Despite increasing international pressure on Iran's government over its crackdown on demonstrators, women have continued to remove their hijabs during street demonstrations weeks into the protests.

According to thehuman rights activists in Iran, the protests have affected over 125 areas; at least 270 people have died and close to 14,000 have been jailed.

In its strongest statement yet, the United Nations on Friday condemned “all incidents that have resulted in death or serious injury to protesters” in Iran and reiterated “that security forces must avoid all unnecessary or disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters.”

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: