Australia issued a travel advisory on Wednesday urging its citizens to leave Iran “as soon as possible,” warning of violent protests and a “volatile” security situation.“If you’re in Iran, you should leave as soon as possible,” the Australian government said in its updated advisory. “There’s ongoing violent nationwide protests that may further escalate without notice... the security situation is volatile,” it added.The warning comes as a protest erupted on December 28, sparked by anger over the rising cost of living and a shutdown by merchants in Tehran, have spread to other parts of the country, particularly western regions home to Kurdish and Lor minorities.At least 27 protesters, including five minors under 18, have been killed, according to Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR). Iranian authorities have also reported deaths among security personnel, including a policeman who was shot dead on Tuesday, AFP reported.The unrest marks Iran’s most serious protest movement since the 2022–2023 nationwide protests triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was detained for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women. While the current protests have not yet reached the scale of those movements or the mass 2009 rallies after disputed elections, they underscore growing economic pressure across the country.Amid the unrest, President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday ordered security forces not to crack down on economic protests. In a video released by the Mehr news agency after a cabinet meeting, Vice President Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah said the president had “ordered that no security measures be taken against the demonstrators.”“Those who carry firearms, knives and machetes and who attack police stations and military sites are rioters, and we must distinguish protesters from rioters,” Ghaempanah added.