DUBAI – In Iran, a member of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has been killed amidst expanding protests fueled by the nation’s struggling economy. This incident, reported on Thursday, marks the first security force casualty in the ongoing unrest.

The victim, a 21-year-old volunteer from the Basij force, died on Wednesday night. His death could signal a potential escalation in the government’s response to the demonstrations, which have lessened in Tehran but are gaining momentum in other regions.

The state-run IRNA news agency confirmed the death but provided few details. The Student News Network, an outlet aligned with the Basij, pointed fingers at the protesters. The network cited Saeed Pourali, a deputy governor in Iran’s Lorestan province, as blaming the demonstrators for the incident.

Pourali reportedly stated that the Guard member was “martyred at the hands of rioters during protests in this city in defense of public order.” He also mentioned that 13 other Basij members and police officers were injured.

Pourali commented on the nature of the protests, attributing them to “economic pressures, inflation, and currency fluctuations,” which reflect the public’s financial grievances. He emphasized the need for authorities to listen to citizens’ concerns with care, warning against allowing opportunists to exploit these demands.

The protests erupted in Kouhdasht, a city situated over 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Tehran.

Iran’s civilian government under reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian has been trying to signal it wants to negotiate with protesters. However, Pezeshkian has acknowledged there is not much he can do as Iran’s rial currency has rapidly depreciated, with $1 now costing some 1.4 million rials.

Meanwhile, state television separately reported on the arrests of seven people, including five it described as monarchists and two others it said had linked to European-based groups. State TV also said another operation saw security forces confiscate 100 smuggled pistols, without elaborating.

The protests have become the biggest in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations. However, the demonstrations have yet to be countrywide and have not been as intense as those surrounding the death of Amini, who was detained over not wearing her hijab, or headscarf, to the liking of authorities.

Iran’s theocracy had declared Wednesday a public holiday across much of the country, citing cold weather, likely as a bid to get people out of the capital for a long weekend. The Iranian weekend is Thursday and Friday, while Saturday marks Imam Ali’s birthday, another holiday for many.

The protests, taking root in economic issues, have heard demonstrators chant against Iran’s theocracy as well. The country’s leaders are still reeling after Israel launched a 12-day war against the country in June. The U.S. also bombed Iranian nuclear sites during the war.

Iran has said it is no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program to ease sanctions. However, those talks have yet to happen as U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have warned Tehran against reconstituting its atomic program.