‘Death to Raisi!’: Food protests in Iran quickly turn political

Though small so far, the demonstrations come at a particularly sensitive moment for Iran and as fears grow over a looming global food crisis, writes Borzou Daragahi

An Iranian man works in his grocery store in Tehran (EPA)

Iran is being rattled by days of intermittent food and labour protests that quickly turned political and left at least one person dead and others shot and injured.

Videos posted to the internet showed scenes of chaos, with protesters denouncing the clerical regime and president Ebrahim Raissi. They can be heard chanting slogans in favour of Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last monarch, who was deposed more than 40 years ago. Passing cars honk their horns in solidarity.

Footage also shows police firing into crowds and looters rummaging through a supermarket. Passing cars in the town of Hafshejan, in the southwest, protesters storm the base of the Revolutionary Guards’ volunteer Basij paramilitary, and one man lies lifeless with an apparent gunshot wound.