Policeman killed amid crackdown on Iran protests

TEHRAN — Fresh protests broke out as night fell in Iran yesterday with reports of a policeman shot dead, as the authorities moved to crack down on days of unrest across the country.

There was a heavy police presence in Tehran as small groups of protesters ran through the city centre shouting anti-regime slogans, local agencies reported.

Some arrests were made before calm returned to the capital, reports said.

State television said one policeman had been killed and three others wounded by fire from hunting rifles in the city of Najafabad in central Iran.

The latest demonstrations came despite President Hassan Rouhani's vow that the nation would deal with "rioters and lawbreakers".

Media cited Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, as blaming the violence on social media.

"Hashtags and messages about the situation in Iran come from the United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia," he said.

"What is happening on social networks concerning the situation in the country is a proxy war against the Iranian people."

US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised Tehran over four days of demonstrations, said it was "time for a change" and that Iran's people were "hungry" for freedom.