Khaberni - Demonstrators in Iran tried to storm a local government building in Fars province in the south of the country, on the fourth consecutive day of protests that erupted following the currency collapse.
The "BBC" network, citing officials, reported injuries to three police officers and the arrest of four individuals in the city of Fasa, amid reports of clashes also occurring in the provinces of Hamadan and Lorestan in western Iran.
In an attempt to contain the unrest, authorities in the capital Tehran declared a public holiday on Wednesday that included banks, a step observers considered an attempt to calm the public.
Users on social media shared a video showing a crowd of protesters storming the gate of the governor's office in the city of Fasa, while other clips showed security forces firing in response, with intense escalation of tear gas canisters in front of closed shops.
Nationally, schools, universities, and public institutions were closed concurrently with the official holiday declared by the Iranian government at the last minute, officially justified by the need to conserve energy due to cold weather. However, many Iranians considered this step an attempt to contain the escalating wave of protests.
In the context of developments, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump the possibility of conducting a "second round" of military strikes against Iran in 2026, during a meeting they had on Monday, as reported by Channel 12 Israeli on a high-ranking American official and two American sources familiar with the details of the meeting.
According to the same sources, Netanyahu during the meeting expressed the occupying state's concerns about the reconstruction steps being undertaken by the Iranian regime following the Twelve-Day War that erupted in June last year, considering that additional strikes might be necessary to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its capabilities, especially concerning the nuclear and missile programs.
