WASHINGTON — Iranian police fired shots into the air to scatter crowds celebrating Chaharshanbe Suri, the fire festival that precedes Persian New Year, in central Tehran on Tuesday night. Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots before hundreds of revelers fled the scene in panic.

The traditional celebration, which involves jumping over bonfires and setting off fireworks, has become a flashpoint between Iranian authorities and citizens seeking to maintain cultural practices. Security forces have increasingly restricted public gatherings since widespread protests erupted across the country in recent years.

"This represents a concerning escalation in the regime's suppression of even apolitical cultural celebrations," said Dr. Farah Pandith, a former State Department official specializing in Middle Eastern affairs. "When authorities resort to gunfire to disperse New Year festivities, it signals deep paranoia about any form of public assembly."

The incident occurred in Tehran's Mellat Park district, where thousands typically gather annually for the pre-Nowruz festivities. Iranian authorities have not issued an official statement regarding the use of firearms, though state media reported the event was dispersed due to "unauthorized assembly." Regional analyst Michael Singh of the Washington Institute noted that "the Islamic Republic increasingly views any spontaneous gathering as a potential threat to public order, even traditional celebrations that predate the current government by millennia."