‘Not Gaza, not Lebanon, only Iran’ – Protesters shut down large parts of Iran, storm governor’s office

Anti-regime protesters chant “Death to Khamenei” and denounce Iran’s support for anti-Israel terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah as demonstrations enter fifth day amid growing unrest.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Large parts of major Iranian cities have ground to a standstill as nationwide anti-regime protests entered their fifth day on Thursday, with universities, government offices, and most businesses closed under a government shutdown imposed in response to the escalating protests.

Demonstrators were heard chanting “Death to Khamenei” and other anti-government slogans during raucous protests in Tehran, Shiraz, and Isfahan, with clashes reported between protesters and state security services.

A member of the volunteer Basij force within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was reportedly killed during clashes with demonstrators in the city of Kouhdasht in the Lorestan province.

According to dissident groups, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers opened fire on protesters as they stormed a governor’s office in Fasa in central Iran.

One of the chants popularized during the last few days of protests has highlighted not only growing frustrations with the collapsing Iranian economy, but also with the Islamic Republic’s support for terrorist proxies across the Middle East, including anti-Israel groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

The chant “Not Gaza, not Lebanon, only Iran” has become an increasingly popular slogan for protesters demanding sweeping social reforms and political change, alongside widespread angst over the weakening rial and years of water mismanagement culminating in a dramatic shortage this year.

The protests initially began as a backlash over spiraling inflation levels and skyrocketing food prices but have since expanded to include a wide range of issues, marking the largest unrest since the 2022 nationwide demonstrations.

The one-day shutdown mandated by Tehran on Wednesday spanned 21 of the country’s 31 provinces, as the government of President Masoud Pezeshkian replaced senior officials in a bid to restore public faith in the regime.

On Wednesday, Pezeshkian appointed a new chief for Iran’s central bank, after the previous head, Mohammed Reza Farzin, resigned over repeated devaluations of the rial.