TEHRAN – Iranians lay to rest a serviceman and a civilian who were killed during recent protests that turned violent, in the days after petrol prices were increased by the government.

According to IRNA, the funeral and mourning procession took place in Tehran Province’s Malard County on Wednesday.

The attendees bade farewell to Morteza Ebrahimi, one of the commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Imam Hossein Battalion, and Mostafa Rezaee, an employee with Malard’s municipality.

Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, attended the funeral procession.

Very late on Thursday, the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) stated to recount details for new prices of gasoline in the country. It was followed by another statement in early Friday by Head of the Management and Planning Organization (MPO) Mohammad Baqer Nobakht who said that the revenues would be allocated to 60 million people in the form of a cash subsidy.

Following the government’s decision to reduce the gas subsidy, people in certain cities poured into the streets to protest the decision. However, some vandals and rioters misused the protests to do sabotage acts, attacking banks and destroying public and private property.

The Islamic Republic of Iran blames the enemies for the vandalism that took place alongside the protests.

MH/PA