Protests in Iran sparked by economic woes have now gone nationwide in the Islamic Republic, activists said on Thursday, signalling both their staying power and intensity as they challenge the country’s theocracy.

Wednesday saw the most intense day of demonstrations, reaching rural towns and major cities in every province, though still localised enough for daily life to continue in Tehran, Iran’s capital, and elsewhere. So far, violence around the demonstrations has killed at least 38 people while more than 2200 others have been detained, said the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.