DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Gunfire erupted as Iranian security forces confronted protesters early Sunday amid demonstrations over water scarcity in the country’s south, violence that authorities said wounded at least 11 people, mostly police.

The protests around Khorramshahr, 400 miles southwest of Tehran, come as residents of the predominantly Arab city near the border with Iraq complain of salty, muddy water coming out of their taps amid a drought.

The unrest there only compounds the wider unease felt across Iran as it faces an economic crisis sparked by President Trump’s decision to withdraw America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

Protests began in Khorramshahr, Abadan, and other areas of Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan province on Friday. The demonstrations initially were peaceful, with protesters chanting in both Arabic and Farsi.

But late Saturday and into early Sunday morning, protesters began throwing stones and confronting security forces in Khorramshahr, according to widely shared online videos.

Associated Press