Dhaka, Jan. 1 -- year-old volunteer in Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed Wednesday night in Lorestan province during protests driven by economic hardship, authorities said Thursday, marking the first reported security force fatality in the demonstrations.

State-run media said the Basij volunteer was "martyred . at the hands of rioters" while defending public order in the city of Kouhdasht, about 400 kilometers southwest of Tehran. Another 13 Basij members and police officers were injured. Local officials linked the protests to inflation, currency depreciation, and rising economic pressures, urging citizens to voice concerns without letting "profit-seeking individuals" exploit the unrest.

The demonstrations, the largest ...