A 21-year-old Basij member from Kouhdasht was killed during protests in Iran, state TV reported on Thursday, citing Said Pourali, deputy governor of Lorestan Province. "A 21-year-old member of the Basij from the city of Kouhdasht was killed last night (Wednesday) by rioters while defending public order," the report said. This is the first official death since protests began peacefully in Tehran last Sunday, triggered by the high cost of living and economic troubles. The Basij are a volunteer paramilitary force connected to Iran's Revolutionary Guards. State media called protesters "rioters". Pourali added 13 police and Basij members were injured by stones during demonstrations in Kouhdasht. The protests spread from shopkeeper strikes in Tehran to student participation at over 10 universities. President Masoud Pezeshkian urged government action to improve living conditions, saying, "From an Islamic perspective... if we do not resolve the issue of people's livelihoods, we will end up in hell." Iran had an extended weekend with an unscheduled bank holiday Wednesday, citing energy savings amid cold weather. Authorities gave no reason linking it to protests. The prosecutor general stated peaceful economic protests are legitimate but warned of a "decisive response" to actions threatening security or public property. On Wednesday, the Tasnim news agency said seven people linked to groups hostile to Iran from the US and Europe were arrested for allegedly trying to incite violence in protests. Iran's rial lost over a third of its value against the dollar in a year. Inflation hit 52% year-on-year in December, severely affecting people’s buying power amid the ongoing crisis.