According to a statement to Fox News by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), protesters against the ayatollahs' regime have established de facto control over the cities of Abdanan and Malekshahi in western Iran's Ilam province, which borders Iraq. Ali Safavi, a member of the NCRI's foreign affairs committee, said that "two cities have effectively come under the control of the protesters, and people are celebrating in the streets".
He said the protests have forced security forces to withdraw from key points in the settlements. A similar assessment was given by Maryam Rajavi, who in a post on the social network X expressed gratitude to the residents of Abdanan and Malekshahi for "forcing the regime's security forces to retreat".
Abdanan is the administrative center of a district of the same name, with a population of nearly 24,000 people according to the last official census from 2016. Malekshahi, also known as Arkavaz, is the main city of the district of the same name and has a population of about 12,000 people.
However, the Iranian authorities categorically deny the information about the loss of control. The state-run Tasnim news agency reported that there was a protest in Abdanan, but it was short and quickly controlled. According to Tasnim, the riots were organized by a small group of people who attacked government offices and banks, smashed shops, burned documents and damaged traffic lights. Security forces intervened using tear gas, after which the protesters dispersed, and control of the central streets remained in the hands of the authorities.
At the moment, independent Western media outlets do not have confirmed information from the field that would unequivocally confirm that the protesters have established lasting control over the two cities. The situation in Ilam province remains unclear and is developing against the backdrop of ongoing tensions and periodic anti-government protests in various parts of Iran.