Iranian protesters demonstrating over economic hardship and a plummeting currency attempted to break into a local government building, state media reported, as the unrest continued for a fourth day.

State media reported on Wednesday an organised group of "rioters" attempted to get into the local governorate building in Fasa in the southern province of Fars. Footage broadcast on state media showed a group of people trying to break open the gate of the building.

Conflicting reports say that military members have been involved with standoffs with protesters, or else may even in some places be joining the people in the streets.

There's much that's hard to verify, as activists outside the country seek to amplify hard to prove claims amid the fast-moving events on the ground. But there is clear evidence of many chanting in some places slogans calling for the overthrow of the government in Tehran. This is the fourth consecutive night of protests.

Various Iranian opposition channels on X, Telegram, and other social media have said 'live fire' has been used by Iranian security forces in ongoing crackdown efforts against the tens of thousands of citizen demonstrators who have taken over the streets of several cities and locales of the past days.

Such allegations, especially hurled at elite IRGC forces, are somewhat typical when protest movements have flared up in past years - and there have been prior examples in these of demonstrators and police alike being wounded or killed by gunfire. Live fire by Iranian security forces is a typical early allegation when unrest kicks off like this.

So far this round of anti-government unrest, which began Sunday by shopkeepers in Tehran as the rial has plunged to record lows against the dollar, has witnessed plenty of riot control measures - but no independent confirmation of gunfire on the crowds in the streets. It started when Tehran shopkeepers in the Jomhouri area and near the Grand Bazaar shuttered their stores and has since spread to the college campuses.

One thing is clear - it is growing by the hour as the movement has spread to several other cities on Tuesday, and now after three consecutive days is gong from the shop and business districts to the universities. Regional news sources say protests have hit at least ten universities across the Islamic Republic, including seven in Tehran.