Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last shah of Iran, thanked President Donald Trump for his "support" of Iranian protesters.

Both the semi-official Fars news agency and human rights group, Hengaw, said two people had died during clashes between protesters and security forces in the city of Lordegan, in south-western Iran. Three more people were killed in Azna and another in Kouhdasht, Fars reported, all in the west of the country.

It was only a matter of time until such gloom gave rise to another round of mass protest. The only question was what would trigger it. It came from an unlikely corner on December 28th, when electronics vendors in Tehran went on strike.

U.S. sanctions on Iran have taken a heavy toll on the country’s economy, contributing to the current protest movement.

Trump threatens U.S. intervention if Iran violently suppresses ongoing protests, escalating tensions after last year's 12-day war between Israel and Iran.