Report: Two killed during protests in Iran

Two people were killed during protests in Doroud city, in the Lorestan province of western Iran, according to semi-official news agency Mehr News.

On Sunday, Mehr news quoted Habibollah Khojastehpour, the deputy governor of Lorestan, as confirming the deaths but denied they were shot by security forces.

Several videos circulated on social media showed various people injured during protests in the city. The videos purportedly showed injured people laying on the ground and being carried away from the protest, as well as being treated in a local hospital. In some of the video, gunshots can be heard.

CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video.

One local source told CNN on Saturday that during protests in the city, his family witnessed a mob storming the governor’s office and setting it on fire. Protesters were fired upon and five people were shot, the source said.

The protests throughout the country — described as the largest public display of discontent since the 2009 Green Movement in Iran — have emerged against a backdrop of rising food and gasoline prices.

In a rare display of public dissent, some protesters directed their ire at Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, according to some videos on social media. CNN has not independently verified the authenticity of the footage.

One resident told CNN of witnessing a protester tearing down a poster of Khamenei near Tehran University on Saturday.

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