At least 16 people have been killed during a week of unrest in Iran, rights groups say, as demonstrations over soaring prices spread nationwide and trigger violent clashes with security forces.

Deaths and arrests have been reported throughout the week by state media and rights groups, though figures vary and cannot be independently verified. The latest unrest marks the biggest protests to hit the country in three years and comes amid deep economic strain and mounting international pressure.

Reuters reported that U.S. President Donald Trump warned Washington could come to protesters’ aid if violence escalated, prompting senior Iranian officials to threaten retaliation against U.S. forces in the region. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would not yield to its enemies, while adding that authorities were open to dialogue but that those he described as rioters should be confronted.

Rights groups offered differing tallies. The Kurdish group Hengaw said at least 17 people had been killed, while the activist network HRANA put the death toll at 16 and said 582 people had been arrested. Police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said security forces had targeted protest organisers, including online activists, with dozens detained in Tehran over what authorities described as false posts aimed at stirring unrest. The state-affiliated Tasnim said administrators of online accounts urging protests had been arrested.

The most intense clashes have been reported in western Iran, with further confrontations in Tehran and the southern Baluchistan province. In Qom, a conservative clerical centre, local officials said two people were killed, including one who died when an explosive device he had made detonated prematurely.

Protests began among bazaar traders and shopkeepers before spreading to students and provincial cities, where chants against the clerical leadership have been reported. Inflation has exceeded 36% since March, the rial has lost around half its value against the dollar, and sanctions linked to Iran’s nuclear programme have added to economic pressure. Authorities have combined pledges of dialogue with forceful measures to quell dissent.

Vice President Mohammadreza Aref said the government recognised shortcomings but warned that some were seeking to exploit the demonstrations, urging young people not to fall into what he called the trap of external enemies.

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