Sparked by soaring prices, recent protests in Iran escalated into one of the most serious challenges to the clerical establishment since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Though the unrest has largely subsided, it left nearly 2,345 protesters and 153 security personnel dead, exposing deep social, economic and political fault lines.

One of the flash points was Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, where unrest intersected with long-standing ethnic and sectarian tensions. As instability spread in the border province, the crisis took on a regional dimension, stretching Tehran’s security apparatus and raising concerns about spillover into neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Sistan-Baluchistan is particularly sensitive. Ethnic Baluch — mostly Sunnis — make up roughly two-thirds of the province’s population, despite constituting only around 2% of Iran. Shiites account for more than 90% of Iran’s population, while Sunni and other Muslim minorities make up roughly 9%. Chronic underdevelopment and political marginalization have made the province a recurring site of unrest.

Baluch mobilization