Protesters in Iran who have staged three days of demonstrations over economic hardship and alleged corruption should pay a high price if they break the law, the government said on Sunday. Protesters have attacked banks and government buildings and burned a police motorcycle. Two protesters were shot dead in the western town of Dorud on Saturday night. Ahmad Khatami, a hardline cleric who leads Friday prayers in the capital Tehran, said the protests were similar to those in 2009 over alleged electoral fraud. Unemployment rose to 12.4 per cent this fiscal year up 1.4 percentage points, according to the Statistical Centre of Iran.

Source: The Irish Times December 31, 2017 07:41 UTC