For the administrative division of Lorestan province, see Azna County.
Azna
City
Native namePersian: ازنا
Coordinates33°27′35″N 49°27′17″E
CountryIran
ProvinceLorestan
CountyAzna
DistrictCentral
Unit prefMetric
Population as of2016
Population total47489
Time zoneIRST (UTC+3:30)

Azna (Persian: ازنا)[a] is a city in the Central District of Azna County, Lorestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.[1]

Demographics

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 37,645 in 9,178 households.[2] The following census in 2011 counted 40,145 people in 11,128 households.[3] The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 47,489 people in 14,208 households.[4]

Geography

In the Zagros Mountains, the city is 133  km. east of Khoramabad and 75 km. south of Arak. The city is en route Esfahan–Khuzestan and is connected to the railway network of the country.[citation needed]

Climate

Azna has a dry-summer continental climate(Dsa) in Köppen climate classification with precipitation being higher in winter months than summer. Summers are dry and hot with very low precipitation from June to September. Winters are very cold and relatively wet.

Civilian casualties of 2025-2026 Iranian protests in Azna, Lorestan

Beginning on 28 December 2025, mass demonstrations erupted across multiple cities in Iran amid a deepening economic crisis and widespread dissatisfaction with the government. While initially sparked by frustration over skyrocketing inflation, rising food prices, and the severe depreciation of the Iranian rial, the protests quickly evolved into a broader movement demanding an end to the Islamic Republic's rule.[5]

On 1 January 2026, Reza Moradi Abdolvand, an 18-year-old citizen from Azna, fell into a coma after being shot directly by forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and died on 5 January 2026. He was the sixth civilian to die in Azna during the 2025–2026 Iranian protests.[6][7]

Hengaw Organization of Human Rights reported the killing of three protestors, including a child in the city of Azna, in Iran’s Lorestan province, after Iranian forces opened fire.[8][9] Hengaw Organization for Human Rights confirmed that the victims were Mostafa (surname unknown), 15, Shayan Asadollahi, 30, and Vahab Musavi, all residents of Azna. They were killed on the evening of Thursday, January 1, 2026, when Iranian forces opened fire on demonstrators.[8][9] The killing of Ahmadreza Amani was also reported on the same date.[10] Amani was struck in the chest by live ammunition fired by state forces. Amani, a law graduate and trainee lawyer, was rushed to hospital following the shooting but died shortly after arrival due to severe internal bleeding.[10]

Notes

  1. ^ Also romanized as Aznā and Eznā[11]

References

  1. ^ Habibi, Hassan (11 October 1391 [Approved 25 August 1373]). "Creation and establishment of Pol-e Dokhtar County with the center of Pol-e Dokhtar city, Selseleh County, with the center of Aleshtar city, and Azna County with the center of Azna city" (in Persian). rc.majlis.ir. Ministry of the Interior, Defense Political Commission of the Government Board. Proposal 1.4.42.6042; Letter 907-93808. Archived 29 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 January 2024. – via Research Center of the System of Laws of the Islamic Council of the Farabi Library of Mobile Users.
  2. ^ "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006): Lorestan Province" (Excel) (in Persian). amar.org.ir. The Statistical Center of Iran. Archived 20 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1390 (2011): Lorestan Province" (Excel) (in Persian). irandataportal.syr.edu. The Statistical Center of Iran. Archived 19 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 December 2022. – via Iran Data Portal, Syracuse University.
  4. ^ "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1395 (2016): Lorestan Province" (Excel) (in Persian). amar.org.ir. The Statistical Center of Iran. Archived 12 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  5. ^ Parent, Deepa & Christou, William (31 December 2025). "‘We want the mullahs gone’: economic crisis sparks biggest protests in Iran since 2022". – via The Guardian.
  6. ^ "گزارش هه‌نگاو از جانباختن رضا مرادی عبدالوند ششمین جانباخته اعتراضات شهر ازنا" (in Persian). Hengaw (hengaw.net). Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  7. ^ "شناسایی هویت ۲۱ جان‌باخته اعتراضات سراسری دی‌ماه ۱۴۰۴" (in Persian). www.iranintl.com. 2026-01-05. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  8. ^ "Three protesters, including a child, killed as Iranian forces open fire in Azna". Hengaw Organization. January 1, 2026. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  9. ^ "Fresh clashes kill six in Iran cost-of-living protests". France24. January 1, 2026. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  10. ^ "Ahmadreza Amani killed by state gunfire in Azna amid ongoing demonstrations". Hengaw Organization. January 2, 2026. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  11. ^