Middle East

Iran protests continue for a third day despite warnings

An Iranian university student raises her fist in a cloud of smoke at Tehran University Image copyright EPA
Image caption Protesters clashed with police at Tehran University



Demonstrators ignored the interior minister's warning that citizens should avoid "illegal gatherings".




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Media captionIranian state TV showed crowds of government supporters in the capital, Tehran

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli urged people not to take part "as they will create problems for themselves and other citizens", but videos posted online suggest that protests were held on Saturday in at least nine cities across the country.


In the US, the Trump administration warned Iran overnight that the world was watching its response. Iran's foreign ministry called the comments "opportunistic and deceitful".

'An eye-opening three days'

By BBC Persian correspondent Kasra Naji

Although small, the anti-government protests on Saturday took on a much greater importance than the government-sponsored rallies.

It's not every day that there are thousands of people voicing opposition to the government.

As night fell, reports were still coming of protests in many cities. There have been clashes with the police in some places.

The common factor in all of them has been protesters' demand for an end to clerical rule in Iran.

Widespread discontent is not limited to complaints about rising prices or widespread unemployment.

It has been an eye-opening three days for the government, which has been careful not to provoke the protesters too much.

How did the anti-government demonstrations start?

The protests started in the north-eastern city of Mashhad - the country's second most-populous - on Thursday.


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Media captionProtesters take to streets venting anger against authorities

The protests spread to at least half a dozen cities on Friday. In some cities police in riot gear and on motorbikes clashed with demonstrators.

It is the biggest display of public dissent since huge pro-reform rallies in 2009.

Overall, the numbers said to be taking part range from less than 100 in some places to thousands in others - but demonstrations do not appear to be taking place on a massive scale. Information about them has mostly emerged through social media.

A video that spread among Persian-language Twitter users earlier on Saturday showed students at Tehran University calling for Mr Khamenei to step down.

The hardline Fars news agency tweeted that "opportunists" were trying to raise unrest in front of the university. However AFP news agency reported that pro-regime counter-demonstrators appeared to outnumber them and chanted "death to the seditionists".

Image copyright EPA
Image caption The scene earlier at Tehran University

Many videos have emerged online showing protests said to have been held on Saturday in cities across Iran, including Karaj, Arak, Zanjan, Khorramabad, Shiraz and Bandar Abbas, BBC Monitoring reports.

What is Iran saying about the protests?

First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri has suggested that government opponents are behind the protests, state broadcaster IRIB reports.


Officials in Mashhad said the protest was organised by "counter-revolutionary elements", while state-run Channel One says "some opportunists tried to make British, American and Saudi media happy with norm-breaking slogans".

Its report added however that "the economic problems of the people are undeniable" - a sentiment echoed by some officials.

Image copyright AFP
Image caption President Hassan Rouhani is blamed by many for the poor state of the economy

What was the US response?


The same tweet later appeared on President Donald Trump's Twitter account.

The US State Department urged all nations "to publicly support the Iranian people and their demands for basic rights and an end to corruption".

What is behind the unrest?


Slogans have been chanted against not just Mr Rouhani but Mr Khamenei, and clerical rule in general.





Image caption Protests took place in at least half a dozen cities

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