Several Arrested in Dehdasht; Protesters Mark 57th Anniversary of the Revolution: 'Seyyed Ali Must Fall'

Following public protests in Dehdasht, intelligence forces of the IRGC in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province arrested a number of protesting citizens on the evening of Tuesday, February 23. The ongoing protests in the provincial capital coincide with the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution, which the Islamic Republic celebrates as 'Dahyeh Fajr', amid a crisis in providing for citizens' livelihoods. Government offices and educational centers in most provinces have been closed under the pretext of 'cold weather' and the authorities' inability to supply energy. According to reports on social media over the past three days, coinciding with the anniversary of the Revolution, protests against the Islamic Republic have been ongoing in Dehdasht, with citizens chanting slogans such as 'This year is the year of blood, Seyyed Ali must fall', 'Death to the Islamic Republic', and 'Death to the dictator'. In some video reports from citizens during the protests in Dehdasht, sounds of gunfire can also be heard as protesters set fires. According to the Hengaw website on Wednesday, February 24, on the evening of Tuesday, IRGC intelligence agents arrested five citizens named Atefeh Tahernia, 17-year-old Amir Hossein Jafari, Kamran Bozari, Jaber Foroughi, and Pouria Barati, taking them to an unknown location. Several other protesters, including one woman and three men, have also been arrested, but their identities remain unclear. It is also unknown where the detainees are being held and what charges have been brought against them. Protests marking the anniversary of the Revolution have also occurred in other parts of Iran. Reports indicate that government slogans have been chanted in various areas of Tehran, with a group of citizens in the Narmak neighborhood chanting 'Death to Khamenei'. Slogans against Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, have also been heard in the Ekbatan neighborhood. The resurgence of protests across different parts of Iran comes as officials in the Islamic Republic have recently warned about the decline in the government's social capital and the public's distrust of the regime. Additionally, Prince Reza Pahlavi issued a statement to Iranians saying, 'The Islamic Republic is experiencing its weakest and most ineffective days, and regional and global developments have provided us with a historic opportunity. However, this window of opportunity is not everlasting.' He urged Iranians that 'now is the time for action' to liberate the homeland from the grip of the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, a U.S. State Department spokesperson emphasized Washington's commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, stating that if the Islamic Republic is not seeking an agreement, the maximum pressure campaign will continue.