Protesters in Iran have tried to break into a local government building in the southern province of Fars, during the fourth day of demonstrations sparked by a currency collapse.
Officials reported that three police officers were injured and four individuals arrested in the city of Fasa.
Similar confrontations have also been reported in western provinces, including Hamedan and Lorestan.
The authorities in Tehran declared Wednesday a bank holiday, seemingly aimed at quelling the unrest.
In footage shared on social media, verified by the BBC, a crowd was seen breaking the gate of the governor's office in Fasa. Security personnel reacted with gunfire, while tear gas was deployed in response to increasingly tumultuous scenes.
Amid concerns of escalating tensions, schools, universities, and public institutions were closed in relation to the government's last-minute holiday declaration, which was ostensibly to conserve energy during cold weather but widely interpreted as a tactic to stifle protests.
The demonstrations commenced in Tehran over the weekend, driven by shopkeepers infuriated by the Iranian currency's sharp depreciation against the US dollar. By Tuesday, university students joined the protests, chanting against the clerical regime, leading to protests spreading across multiple cities.
These protests represent the most widespread civil unrest since the 2022 uprising triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, although their scale is currently less extensive. In response to the demonstrations, tightened security measures have been implemented in areas where protests were initiated.
President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed a willingness to heed the legitimate demands of demonstrators, though the prosecutor general, Mohammad Movahedi-Azad, has cautioned that any attempts at destabilization would face a severe crackdown.
