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Iran has for decades now been ruled by an oppressive government. And recently, discontentment with that government sparked mass protests, forcing the Islamic nation into the global spotlight.
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From the Daily Wire:
Iranian security forces killed several protesters this week as demonstrations entered their sixth day.
So far, about six to seven protesters are reported to have been killed, with at least six losing their lives in direct shootings as the regime’s security forces brutally crack down on civil unrest, according to the Center for Human Rights in Iran and the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. All of those killed were males, including a 15-year-old and others mostly in their 20s and 30s.
The Iranian regime has confirmed only the death of Amirhesam Khodayari, describing him as a member of the Basij militia. Hengaw, a human rights group, said he was a protester and reported that authorities pressured his family to label him a militia member as a condition of returning his body, reported the Washington Post.
According to the Daily Wire, the protests were initially sparked by merchants over economic despair. However, the protests quickly snowballed into the massive anti-regime protests taking place today.
For its part, the Iranian regime has confessed that merchants who initially voiced grievances had “legitimate demands,” though it has sought to separate the large number of anti-regime protestors from the original economically-minded bunch, referring to the former as “sabotage elements.”
Iran’s economy is in dire straits. The Iranian rial has reportedly dropped 1.42 million to the dollar, losing over 56% of its value over the past six months. This has led to inflation and a 72% increase in food prices when compared to last year.
President Trump spoke up in defense of the Iranian protestors, threating to take action against the regime if any of the demonstrators were killed. Now that some protestors have been killed, however, it is unclear whether the President will make good on that threat.
As these protests continue, let’s pray for the people of Iran to turn to Christ!
How are you praying for Iran amid these protests? Share your prayers and scriptures below.
(Excerpt from the Daily Wire. Photo Credit: Sonia Sevilla – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27733127)
