Top Iran official warns against protests amid serious unrest

A woman flashes a victory sign as she walks in the old main bazaar in Tehran (Vahid Salemi/AP)

Iran’s parliamentary speaker has warned that protests over the death of a young woman in police custody could destabilise the country and urged security forces to deal harshly with those he claimed endangered public order, as countrywide unrest entered its third week.

Scattered anti-government protests appeared to break out in Tehran and running clashes with security forces in other towns, social media reports showed on Sunday, even as the government has moved to block, partly or entirely, internet connectivity in Iran.