At Least 35 Killed and 1200 Arrested During Protests in Iran, Reports Say

At least 35 people have been killed and over 1200 protesters arrested during nine days of street demonstrations in Iran, according to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa). The agency reported that protests took place in at least 88 cities across 27 of the country's 31 provinces by the end of December.

At some point, Iranian security forces began to use force against the protesters, particularly during demonstrations in smaller towns, human rights defenders indicated. Such actions have sparked a new wave of protests in major cities, including Mashhad and Tehran, the capital of Iran.

Students from at least 17 universities across the republic have joined the demonstrations. In response, security forces have reportedly begun conducting raids on university campuses, according to student media.

Among the 35 fatalities reported, 29 were protesters, 4 were children, and 2 were members of the security forces. Media reports indicate that security forces attempted to use firearms to disperse a protest in Kouhdasht.

The protests in the country were prompted by a sharp decline in the national currency's value.