An Iranian police officer was killed in a stabbing during unrest near the capital, local media reported on Thursday, as protests over the cost of living in the country entered a 12th day.

Shahin Dehghan, a member of the police force in Malard county west of Tehran, “was martyred a few hours ago after being stabbed during efforts to control unrest”, Fars news agency reported, adding that efforts to identify the perpetrators are underway.

Unrest broke out in Iran on December 28 after merchants in Tehran staged a protest against rising prices and the collapse of the rial, triggering a wave of similar actions in other cities.

The demonstrations have spread to 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to an AFP tally based on official statements and local media, and left dozens killed, including from security forces.

It is the most serious protest movement in the Islamic Republic since the 2022-2023 nationwide rallies sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women.

The demonstrations have yet to reach the scale of the 2022-2023 movement, let alone that of the mass 2009 street protests that followed disputed elections.

But they have presented a new challenge for Iran’s leadership against the backdrop of a biting economic crisis and on the heels of the 12-day war with Israel last June.