The United States condemned on Wednesday the use of violence by Iranian security forces against citizens protesting water shortages. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price stated, "We support the rights of Iranians to peacefully assemble and express themselves without fear of violence and arrest by security forces."
**Protests Continue**
These statements come as protests continue in several provinces in southwestern Iran suffering from an unprecedented drought. Protests have spread to various areas across the country. Images circulated on social media on Tuesday showed gatherings in Valiasr Square in Baharestan, Isfahan, and in Eivan, while protestors voiced anti-government slogans against the Iranian regime and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with some burning his images.
Additional videos showed gatherings of protesters in the city of Eivan in Ilam province on Tuesday, protesting the frequent power outages. Demonstrations continue in several cities in Khuzestan province.
It is noteworthy that a new round of protests in Iran has been ongoing for about two weeks in various cities in Ahvaz, due to the worsening water crisis and the government's inefficiency in managing crises. The protests quickly spread from Ahvaz to different provinces across Iran, from the northwest to the northeast and central regions.
According to a report by Amnesty International, the number of deaths since the start of these protests has reached 8 people. However, activists from within Ahvaz report that the numbers are higher than this.
