Iran acknowledged for the first time Tuesday that its security forces shot and killed protesters across the country to put down demonstrations last month over the sharply spiking price of gasoline, the deadliest unrest to hit the country since the 1979 revolution. A report by Iranian state television sought to portray those killed as “rioters”.

In a report broadcast on Iranian state television on 2 December, the authorities acknowledged that there has been the widespread killing of anti-government protesters in the cities of Shiraz, Sirjan, Mahshahr, Quds, Shahriar, Malard and Fardis in the past two weeks.

The state-run reports claim that in Shiraz, ‘armed rioters’ blocked all roads, prompting security forces to carry out a powerful and hard crackdown, during which a number of rioters were killed.

In Sirjan on Friday night, 15 November, when a number of ‘gunmen’ and ‘rioters’ attacked the city’s kerosene and gas tanks with firearms and attempted to enter the area and set fire to the banks, here too, security forces took action, and some ‘rioters’ were killed, according to the state television report.

In Mahshahr, conditions were different than in other areas. There, people with firearms and even semi-automatic weapons seized the Mahshahr port and closed it off to other parts of the country and the freight route was also closed. The protesters intended to seize the Mahshahr petrochemical warehouse and blast it. In Mahshahr, armed clashes were practically waged for hours. In such circumstances, security forces took action to save the lives of Mahshahr people, according to the state television report.

Biranvand, the Governor of Mahshahr port said: “If there were no military and law enforcement forces in the area, public life would not only be in danger, but main imports for the country’s production, coming from the Imam Port to the main points of the country, while the number of transports had reached less than 400 trucks a day, we’re in danger.”

“So, the security and military forces were finally put in place for the comfort of the people, and armed forces that stood up against the people and the regime were also severely hit.”

Mahshahr Police Commander: “The marsh that you notice, where the militia groups were hiding and shooting at the security officers, but thank God that with the tactics and vigilance of the armed forces present here, their plot was foiled.”

“In Behbahan, armed attacks also threatened the people.”

“In Qods Shahriar and Melard in Tehran province as well as Fardis in Alborz province, rioters with machete and firearms attacked people, shops and business centers, in addition to widespread destruction they tried to attack government buildings, as well as mobilization Basiji force bases and police centers to capture weapons, under such circumstances, security forces were forced to confront in a hard way.”

“Thus, a number of those killed in the recent riots have been related to rioters armed with firearms and other kinds of weapons.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of video clips posted by protesters and bystanders show unarmed protesters being attacked by government forces.