Iranian troops ‘open fire’ on protesters

Iranian troops have opened fire on protesters after weeks of unrest in the Islamic Republic. Thousands were yesterday walking to reach the grave of Hadis Najafi in Karaj, near Tehran.Hadis, 23, was last month shot dead during nation-wide protests against Iran’s hijab mandate and has since become a symbol in ongoing demonstrations against Tehran’s ruling administration.Her death sparked further tension, already bubbling following the death, 49 days ago, of Mahsa Amini, 22, while being held for ‘inappropriate attire’.Protesters have arisen across the country and, in some corners, are increasingly calling for the toppling of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime.State-run media outlets yesterday claimed ‘rioters’ killed a militiaman and injured 10 police officers. Iranian troops ‘open fire’ on protesters after almost 50 days of unrest. (Image: Getty)But some eye-witnesses said the physical action was being led by the other side.One person living in an area where there were clashes told the BBC: ‘They [security forces] were firing birdshot at people.’They stabbed a protester with a machete after he fell to the ground, already hit with birdshot.”Another said: ‘I tried to record a video from the window, but they are firing shots… I am scared. We have closed the curtains.’READ MORE: Biden working to boot ‘unfit’ Iran from UN women’s rights bodyVideo footage shared online also shows security forces opening fire on a street.One showed a young woman shot in the head by forces in Isfahan, central Iran, and rioters setting fire to police vehicles, according to The Times.Human Rights Activists News Agency reported earlier this week that around 300 demonstrators had been killed during the nation-wide protests.DON’T MISS: Zelensky’s call for no fly zone rejected [OPINION] Putin’s army from ‘mysteriously weak’ to ‘brutal’ [REVEAL] People sensationally blame Brexit for Russia’s chilling invasion [REPORT] Iran military power. (Image: Express)This, it said, included 47 children.More than 14,000 people have also been arrested.The US is now working to boot Iran from the 45-member UN Commission on the Status of Women. Protests in Turkey over Iranian deaths. (Image: Getty)Vice President Kamala Harris this week said in a statement: ‘The United States believes that no nation that systematically abuses the rights of women and girls should play a role in any international or United Nations body charged with protecting these very same rights.’She added that no country that abuses women’s rights ‘should play a role in any international or United Nations body charged with protecting these very same rights’.Tehran has used such actions to suggest unrest in the Islamic Republic has been prompted not by its own actions but by foreign influences.