Heavy security presence reported in Tehran bazaar

An Iranian lawmaker said on Sunday that rising inflation and currency instability were key drivers of recent protests, criticizing what he described as a lack of coordination within the government.

Ahmad Naderi, a member of parliament’s presiding board, said there was no serious will within the government to organize the foreign exchange and gold markets.

“There is no serious determination in the government to bring order to the situation of the currency and gold rates, and as a result of this lack of coordination and the outcome seen in rising exchange rates, we are witnessing protests,” he said.

“Today we are witnessing runaway inflation that puts pressure on the middle class and, more importantly, on deprived groups, and this has led to social dissatisfaction,” he said.

Araghchi strongly condemned the “US military aggression against Venezuela and the abduction of the country’s legitimate president and his wife,” according to Iran’s foreign ministry.

The statement described the US move as a “clear example of state terrorism, and a blatant violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and the national will of the Venezuelan people.”

Iran on Saturday denounced the US military attack on Venezuela, accusing Washington of violating international law following reports that American forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a military operation.

The United States carried out an overnight operation targeting Venezuela and detained Maduro, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday, adding that Washington would assume control of the country for the time being and could deploy American troops if required.

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  Iran strongly condemns US attack on Venezuela

Iranian security forces were seen severely beating a civilian in a Shiraz neighborhood on Saturday night, according to videos received by Iran International.

The footage showed the incident in Ma’ali Abad, a residential area in Shiraz, the capital of Fars province.

Protesters confronted security forces in the city of Farsan in western Iran on Saturday night, according to a video received by Iran International.

The footage showed a group of young protesters in Farsan, a city in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, lighting a fire in the street and standing their ground as security forces faced them.

Iranian exiled prince Reza Pahlavi on Sunday urged protesters to maintain control of the streets and create road blockages to prevent security forces from carrying out a crackdown.

In a social media post, Pahlavi praised protesters for what he described as their courage during the past week of unrest and called for continued street action.

“The key issue is sustaining control of the streets and creating road blockages to prevent and obstruct the regime’s repression,” he wrote.

He urged protesters to maintain unity and discipline, adding: “Victory is yours.”

Addressing demonstrators directly, Pahlavi said, “I salute each and every one of you who courageously, over the past week, have taken sleep away from Khamenei and his regime.”

He singled out young protesters, referring to them as the “Generation V,” which he said stood for victory.