Could the protests actually lead to regime change?published at 15:28 British Summer Time 14 October 2022

15:28 BST 14 October 2022

Lyse Doucet
Chief International Correspondent

The next question comes from Martin Hampton - and others - who have asked whether the protest could actually lead to a change in leadership. "Won't the regime just 'sit tight' as long as needed?" says Martin.

Some senior officials have expressed concern about the crackdown, but their red line is the survival of the Islamic Republic.

There’ve been many protests over many years in Iran, over issues ranging from water shortages, rising prices, compulsory hijab. But this wave has drawn in many sectors of society across the country.

The authorities may believe they can deal with this wave, just as they have done in the past. The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has said some protesters can be dealt with by "cultural means," or re-education. Others would be dealt with through judicial or security measures.

But many of the protesters are under the age of 25. It underlines the deep societal changes happening in Iran. As observer Vali Nasr put it, "rather than regime change, there may be changes in the regime" - if they accept that the source of this protest is inside Iran, and not outside, in the Western countries they now blame.

Rana Rahimpour
BBC Persian

It seems that the Iranian authorities are walking in a minefield. With every step they take they cause more fury.

As well as the violent crackdown of the protesters, bashing their heads on pavements and dragging them on the ground, two recent videos in particular have caused an uproar.

In at least two videos, security forces who are forcefully trying to arrest female protesters appear to be sexually assaulting them.

Even the hardcore supporters of the government are shocked. They say that Islamic rules were meant to protect the sanctity of women - but the forces of the Islamic Republic are now sexually harassing them.

The death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police had already caused anger among some of the supporters of the government. They said no-one should be killed because of showing their hair.

The recent videos may cause even more cracks in its core.

Police in the capital, Tehran, have now reacted to one of the videos, saying they were investigating the incident.

Demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans have gathered en masse in Iran's south-eastern city Zahedan after Friday prayers.

One of their main chants has been "death to Basiji" - a reference to people who are part of Iran's feared paramilitary Basij force.

The city saw the worst violence by the security forces so far two weeks ago, with dozens of protesters reported to have been killed. Activists have called it "Bloody Friday".

Do any of Iran's police support the protests?published at 14:47 British Summer Time 14 October 2022

14:47 BST 14 October 2022

Behrang Tajdin
Economics correspondent, BBC Persian

Paul from New York asks: Are there Iranians within the security police and other security organisations that support the demonstrations? If so, how do they show it?

It is likely that there are individuals within police and other security forces who sympathise with the protests, but it’s very unlikely that they’d be able to show it, as punishment could be severe.

To join the police or the security services you need to show that you are religious, loyal to Islamic Republic and believe in its “revolutionary values”.

So you shouldn’t expect many of them to support a revolt against a fundamental pillar of the Islamic Republic such as mandatory hijab.

On top of that, members of the paramilitary force, Basij, have been playing an important role in supressing the protests. These are the most hard-line, ardent supporters of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic.

Kayvan Hosseini
BBC Persian journalist

Image source, Reuters

1. The last two waves of widespread protests in Iran were related to economic hardship - but this time the death of a young woman blamed on the morality police was the initial reason for people to take to the streets.

2. Friday marks nearly a month of uninterrupted protests, a record since the time when the Islamic government came to power in 1979. Until now, the regime was always successful in ending street protests by force in a matter of days. However, this time they failed, and it is close to a month that some people in Iran still show up in the streets daily and chant against the government.

3. Women are at the forefront of the protests.For opposition and Islamists alike, that is another unprecedented reality. Iranian women's rights activists always have always been very dynamic and energetic. But until now they have never been at the heart of a nationwide protest challenging the existence of the Islamic republic.

4. High school students are part of the protests. In Iran, university students have always played a key role in the fight for democracy and freedom. But teenage pupils have never been part of the picture. The situation changed when adolescent girls removed their headscarves and marched to the street after school.

5. Almost all those killed during the current protests were born after the 1979 revolution. This has been verified either by human rights groups or the BBC. Most of them had no experience of what life was in the Iranian imperial state, where women were free to choose their dress, and alcohol and the Beatles were allowed.

How can the international community help Iranians?published at 14:09 British Summer Time 14 October 2022

14:09 BST 14 October 2022

Lyse Doucet
Chief International Correspondent

Our next question comes from Rosemary in Colorado, who asks how the international community can support Iranians. She suggests countries should make it easier for Iranians to come to other countries, for example by relaxing visa rules, and adds: The Iranian government doesn't care about sanctions because they just pass the burden on to the people, and international isolation is not effective.

As BBC journalists we wouldn’t make recommendations in support of political movements. But many human rights organisations and other civil society are making suggestions, I can mention some actions taken by governments or companies.

You mentioned visas. I heard a suggestion by some Iran watchers to make it easier for Iranian students to get visas to study in leading Western universities.

One way the US government is trying to help is by making it easier for Iranians, now cut off from the internet, to access online platforms and services. The US Treasury has issued a new General License D-2 which allows exemptions in existing sanctions against Iran to ensure global technology companies don’t violate them.

Elon Musk, has activated his satellite internet network, Starlink, in Iran to offer uncensored access to the internet although Iranians need to obtain special terminals which presents other risks. Other companies, like Google and Signal are now providing VPNs, (virtual private networks) to bypass the Iranian network.

Are human rights groups like Amnesty currently in Iran?published at 13:53 British Summer Time 14 October 2022

13:53 BST 14 October 2022

Behrang Tajdin
Economics correspondent, BBC Persian

The next question comes from Isa, in New Zealand, who asks whether human rights organisations like Amnesty International are currently in Iran.

No, they are monitoring the situation from abroad, as all other human rights groups are.

Iran is very suspicious of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), even the domestic ones, often accusing them of espionage, undermining the national security and conspiring to overthrow the regime.

We have seen those who work with domestic or international NGOs arrested - like British Council employee Aras Amiri or members of anti-poverty charity Imam Ali Society - on similar charges, often without any evidence.

That makes it almost impossible for human rights group to work in Iran independently and safely.

Are the protests part of a wider move away from religion?published at 13:41 British Summer Time 14 October 2022

13:41 BST 14 October 2022

Behrang Tajdin
Economics correspondent, BBC Persian

We've had a few questions about the role of religion in Iran and young people's lives. Gareth Jenkinson asks: Are the protests in part driven by a rejection of fundamental Islam or something even more profound like a rejection of religion in general? In the West, many young people now identify as of no religion or atheist/agnostic - is this also a trend in Iran and possibly the Middle East in general?

The signs are that in the past couple of decades Iran has become a much less religious society, at least partly as a backlash to the strict interpretation of Shia Islam championed by the state, and its forceful imposition on the population.

The growing refusal to adhere to Islamic values was one of the reasons why the morality police was created in the first place.

Generally, the more the Islamic Republic has tried to implement religious values and invest public money in religious organisation and festivals, the more Iranians have become disillusioned and moved away from these values.

It’s also worth noting that under the law, moving away from Islam towards atheism or even other religions is strictly prohibited and could be punished by death. Therefore you almost never see anyone publicly expressing such views.

Why isn't there more press coverage and international reaction?published at 13:31 British Summer Time 14 October 2022

13:31 BST 14 October 2022

Lyse Doucet
Chief International Correspondent

The next question comes from Bob in County Durham, UK, who asks: Police violence in Iran has been horrific throughout these protests, including the storming of universities and schools, use of live ammunition and the arrest of thousands of ordinary demonstrators. Yet international press coverage and government responses have been relatively muted. What are the possible reasons for this?

Many Western governments have issued strongly worded statements condemning Iran’s crackdown on protests.

They’ve also imposed new sanctions. Britain, for example, has sanctioned Iran’s morality police, as well as five leading political and security officials.

Your phrase "relatively muted" may point to the current situation where governments are more preoccupied by Russia’s war in Ukraine, and President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats, as well as North Korea’s new tests of nuclear-capable cruise missiles. They would also not want to give the impression that this is a foreign-inspired movement; this is the main accusation by Iranian leaders.

On the issue of media, there are few foreign media based in Iran. They, as well as Iranian journalists, operate under restrictions, but are reporting. Many media, including the BBC, want to deploy journalists to report on this story, but cannot obtain visas. So we are dependent on the videos and accounts that Iranians are able to send on a very restricted internet. The BBC, including our Persian language service, is managing to obtain both videos and eyewitness accounts.

Who is leading the protests?published at 13:21 British Summer Time 14 October 2022

13:21 BST 14 October 2022

Behrang Tajdin
Economics correspondent, BBC Persian

We've had a few questions about the leadership. Victoria Murray asks: Who is leading the recent protests in Iran?

The short answer is there isn’t a single figurehead or political group leading the protests. They are led by Iranian women who feel quite fed up with the state trying to control all aspects of their lives, including what they wear.

The chants heard the most in these protests are "woman, life, freedom" and "death to the dictator" which refers to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

That indicates that what brings all these groups of people together is their desire for a fundamental change in the Islamic Republic, its non-democratic nature, and its ideology-driven policies.

How much of Iran's population support the protests?published at 13:11 British Summer Time 14 October 2022

13:11 BST 14 October 2022

Behrang Tajdin
Economics correspondent, BBC Persian

"Is there any sign that the protests in Iran are gaining any ground in the wider population beyond the student community?" asks Ray Hosegood.

These protests actually didn’t start within the students or even in the capital, Tehran. They started in the town of Saqqez in Kurdistan province, and spread like wildfire.

We have seen protests among students, people in larger cities and even smaller, usually conservative towns. We have seen it in the more affluent parts of the cities as well as in the poorer communities.

It’s very difficult to gauge exactly what proportion of the population support the protests or sympathise with them, however the evidence suggest that they are there the most widely supported set of protests we have seen in recent years in Iran and that support is coming from a very, very wide range of people across the country and society.

Could the police or military join the protests?published at 13:00 British Summer Time 14 October 2022

13:00 BST 14 October 2022

Our correspondents are answering your questions

Lyse Doucet
Chief International Correspondent

Steven Ng in Vancouver asks what it would take to get some of the military and police to side with the general Iranian population and start a revolution. Many members of the Iranian military and police forces must be tired of seeing corruption, injustice as well as the incredibly high inflation rate, he says.

Iran is a nation of nearly 90 million people and they hold different views, like every country. This includes the range of security forces.

It is hard to know their thinking now in the midst of these protests and violence. Some will remain fiercely loyal because their future is tied to the future of the Islamic Republic. Some may question the crackdown they must execute.

So far, the most loyal elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have not been deployed. But many are asking what happens if the full weight of Iran’s security forces is unleashed - would they really want to be attacking crowds of young and old women, men from all walks of life?

They may even have family members sympathetic to some of the protesters' demands. Some senior members of the establishment have voiced concern about the use of force, about restrictions like compulsory hijab or head covering. But we don’t know how deep this criticism runs. The red line for many key supporters of the Islamic Republic is its survival.

Video footage verified by the BBC shows the moment arrested protesters in the western city of Bukan are driven away in a pick-up truck overnight.

The audio on this video has been distorted to protect the identity of the protesters.

We're bringing you live special coverage of events as they unfold in Iran, including real-time verified videos, voices of those taking to the streets, and essential background, as well as answering your questions.

Here's a recap of what we've been reporting on so far today:

• Today is Day 29 of the protests in Iran, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini
• Ms Amini was arrested by morality police on 13 September in Tehran for allegedly wearing her hijab, or headscarf, "improperly". She collapsed after being taken to a detention centre and died three days later. Reports said she was beaten by officers, but the police denied that and said she suffered a heart attack.
• Footage emerged from Iran's western Kurdistan province overnight appearing to show a white pick-up truck with a gun on the back shooting at people while they flee
• The bulk of last night's protests took place in the south-western city of Ahvaz. At least 37 protesters were also injured by security forces and 19 arrested in several other western cities, according to the France-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network
• One human rights group says more than 200 people have been killed since protests started four weeks ago.

From 13:00 (12:00 GMT), a special question-and-answer session will be taking place right here.

The BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet and BBC Persian’s economics correspondent Behrang Tajdin will be helping you make sense of the events taking place in Iran and what they mean for the future of the country.

You have been sending us your questions over the past couple of days and we're aiming to get through as many as we can.

Image source, .

This map shows where the victims identified by the BBC were killed during protests across Iran.

They include women, teenage boys and girls, and men. The overall number of people who have died is reported to be much higher.

Read more: BBC identifies young people killed in Iran's protests.

BBC Persian

The bulk of protests last night took place in the city of Ahvaz, in the south-western province of Khuzestan, videos on social media suggest. But demonstrations also continued elsewhere across the country - including in Nishapur, Bukan, Baneh and Kerman.

According to the France-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network, at least 37 protesters were injured by security forces and 19 arrested last night in the western cities of Sanandaj, Marivan, Baneh, Ilam and Saqqez. It shared a video appearing to show a protester being beaten in Ilam:

Human rights group say more than 200 protesters have been killed by security forces since the protests began nearly four weeks ago.

Iranian government officials and human rights organisations have also reported the deaths of several security personnel.

On Friday, the governor of Fars province, in the south-west, claimed that two security personnel were killed in clashes with "hypocrites" - the word it uses to describe members of the exiled opposition group, the People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran, or Mojahedin-e Khalq.

Behrang Tajdin
Economics correspondent, BBC Persian

Mahsa Amini’s death sparked the protests we are currently seeing, but the state of Iran’s economy had already created a sense of despair.

Here are six key factors which have contributed to the country’s economic woes:

1. Iran’s shrunken economy: Crippling sanctions reinstated by the United States in 2018 after it abandoned a nuclear deal with Iran have hit the Iranian oil, banking and other sectors hard
2. Women out of work: The government's pursuit of higher birth rates and emphasising women's roles as stay-at-home mothers - under the orders of the supreme leader - has resulted in a significant decline in the number of women in work
3. Sky-rocketing prices: The cost of goods and services has increased by 1,135% over the past decade
4. A devalued currency: The value of Iran’s currency, the rial, has fallen by almost 90% against the US dollar on the open market exchange rate over the past five years
5. Falling living standards: All the above factors have combined to cause a long slump in living standards
6. Bleak prospects: With the prospects of the US returning to the nuclear deal and lifting its sanctions having dimmed in recent months, Iran is set to remain an isolated country, with the government relying on selling oil on the so-called grey market to make ends meet. With little hope of better, more prosperous lives in the future, many Iranians have taken aim at the whole Islamic Republic during the recent protests.

Read the full story here.

As we've been reporting, protests have been going on around the country for the last few weeks - here we have a selection of pictures in Tehran, the capital.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images