Widening demonstrations sparked by Iran's ailing economy spread on January 1st into Iran's rural provinces, with at least seven people being killed in the first fatalities reported among security forces and protesters. The protests are the country's largest in three years, since those sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The protests are also the sign of a 'huge trust issue' between large parts of the population and the Iranian government Thierry Coville, Research Fellow at IRIS and Iran specialist, tells FRANCE 24.