At least one person was killed in Iran's southern city of Kazeroon when protesters set fire to a police station, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Thursday. It said the protest on Wednesday night had left at least one person dead and at least six others wounded."A small number of people gathered to protest against a decision made by local officials to divide some districts of Kazeroon and merge them into a new town," Fars reported.
Iran's ruling elite are anxious to prevent any repeat of unrest in late December, when people staged demonstrations in 80 cities and towns over poor living standards, some calling on Shi'ite Muslim clerical leaders to step down. The semi-official Tasnim news agency on Thursday published a statement by the Interior Ministry.
"The ministry urges the wise people of Kazeroon to be alert against plots of the opposition groups and enemies of Iran," it said. Those who wanted to "create disorder and harm the national security will be firmly confronted legally", it added. A local official said the situation was under control in Kazeroon but "there were still sporadic protests", the Iranian Students News Agency reported.