On Wednesday, life in Iran came to a halt as a government-mandated shutdown took hold, closing businesses, universities, and government offices. This drastic measure was a response to escalating protests driven by a deepening political and economic crisis gripping the nation.

Tragically, the unrest claimed its first casualty among the security forces. According to Iranian state media, a 21-year-old volunteer member of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard lost his life in the western province of Lorestan. This incident marks a significant escalation in the ongoing protests.

The fatality occurred in Kouhdasht, a city situated approximately 250 miles west of the capital, Tehran. Saeed Pourali, a deputy governor in the Lorestan province, stated that the guard member was “martyred by rioters during protests in this city while defending public order,” as reported by the Iranian Student News Network.

The protests, which have triggered a nationwide shutdown, have forced President Masoud Pezeshkian to shutter businesses and offices across 21 provinces. This decision underscores the mounting public frustration and anger that is fueling demonstrations across the country.

Iranian protests force nationwide shutdown as President Masoud Pezeshkian closes businesses and offices across 21 provinces amid mounting public anger. (MEK)

Video footage circulating online and shared by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) shows intense clashes between protesters and security forces in cities, including Shiraz, Isfahan, Kermanshah and Tehran.

In the videos, protesters chant anti-regime slogans and confront security forces in crowded streets.

Footage included scenes of screaming and apparent gunfire, with demonstrators throwing objects and shouting, “Death to the Dictator” and “Proud Arakis, support, support.”

Additional footage shared by MEK shows crowds chanting, “Death to Khamenei!” and “Shame on you, shame on you!” as anger appears to spread across the country, with a particular focus on bazaar-led protests in Tehran.

Some of the most dramatic scenes were reported in the city of Fasa in south-central Iran. Video circulating online shows demonstrators hurling objects at the gates of a government complex and shaking them until they opened.

Opposition groups also reported that protesters stormed the governor’s office, prompting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces to open fire, per Reuters.

Widespread protests grip Iran as President Pezeshkian faces mounting economic and political crisis. (MEK)

Military helicopters were seen flying over the city, apparently to intimidate residents and prevent the unrest from spreading.

In Kermanshah, in western Iran, bazaar merchants were seen confronting security forces while chanting, “Dishonorable, dishonorable,” according to video footage.

The one-day shutdown affected 21 of Iran’s 31 provinces, including Tehran, as President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to contain mounting public anger fueled by inflation, currency instability and declining living standards.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sitting next to a senior military official in Iran. (Getty Images)

Demonstrations, strikes and clashes with security forces continued for a fourth consecutive day in cities across the country.

The unrest has unfolded alongside a series of high-level leadership changes that have added to uncertainty.

On Wednesday, 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 as acknowledging the role was “extremely difficult and complex,” warning that the new central bank chief would face intense pressure and criticism amid ongoing economic turmoil, according to IRNA.

Separately, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced the appointment of IRGC Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi as deputy commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards.