Iran cop shot dead; new strike in Iraq

TEHRAN: An Iranian policeman died on Sunday after being shot in a clash with “rioters and thugs” during protests against petrol price hikes, state news agency IRNA reported.

Maj Iraj Javaheri died of his wounds a day after a confrontation with armed attackers in the western city of Kermanshah on Saturday, provincial police chief Ali Akbar Javidan said.

Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday backed the government’s decision to raise gasoline prices and called angry protesters who have been setting fire to public property over the hike “thugs,” signalling a potential crackdown on the demonstrations.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comments came as authorities shut down the internet across Iran to smother the protests in some two dozen cities and towns over the rise of government-set prices by 50% as of Friday. One firm said it was the biggest internet outage ever seen in Iran.

ANTI-GOVT PROTESTERS BLOCK ROADS IN IRAQ Anti-government protesters blocked roads with burning tires in parts of central and southern Iraq on Sunday, halting traffic and paralysing work following a call for a national strike.

In the southern port city of Basra and in cities like Nasiriyah, Amara and Kut, protesters set tires ablaze to close off roads, keeping employees from reaching their work places. Schools, universities and other institutions closed for the day. In parts of Baghdad, particularly the sprawling Sadr City, protesters prevented employees from getting to workplaces.