The 2025–2026 Iranian protests were a series of nationwide demonstrations against the government of Iran that began on 28 December 2025 amid a deepening economic crisis. The unrest followed a sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial, rising inflation, and widespread shortages linked to international sanctions and government mismanagement. This event has been the largest uprising in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, spreading to more than 200 cities across the country. The ensuing crackdown, reportedly carried out under orders by Ali Khamenei and senior officials to use live fire on protesters, resulted in massacres that left thousands of protesters dead. Initially sparked by frustration over record-high inflation, food prices, and currency depreciation, the protests quickly evolved into a broader movement demanding an end to the Islamic government. Beginning with the bazaari (shopkeepers and merchants) in Tehran's Grand Bazaar and later university students, the demonstrations soon spread to other major cities and small settlements. Protesters chanted anti-government slogans. Although largely leaderless, the protests escalated on 8 January following a call for unified protests by Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah. On 8 January, 1.5 million protesters took to the streets of Tehran and, by 9 January, 5 million people were protesting nationwide according to an unnamed European diplomat citing intelligence. Pahlavi has called for a peaceful transition and a referendum to determine Iran's future political system. The Iranian government has cut off Internet access and telephone services in an attempt to prevent protesters from organising. It has accused the United States and Israel of fuelling the protests. By 9 January, millions had taken to the streets in protests across all 31 provinces. Amid the internet blackout, Iranian security forces escalated their use of live ammunition against demonstrators. Hospitals in Tehran and Shiraz were reported to be overwhelmed by injured protesters, many suffering gunshot wounds. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed that security forces had fired on protesters, raising international concern over human rights. Thousands were also arrested during the violent crackdown. Despite the blackout, on 10 January 2026, The Guardian documented multiple reports of security forces opening fire on demonstrations, with one eyewitness stating they saw "hundreds of bodies" across Tehran. By late January, Time, The Guardian and Iran International, citing local health officials, reported estimates that between 30,000 and 36,500 protesters were killed during 8–9 January. As of 5 February 2026, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) had confirmed and documented 7,015 deaths, including at least 6,508 protesters, with 11,744 additional cases under review. The Iranian government had reported 3,117 deaths, while local health officials said the total death toll could be as high as 30,000. On 11 February, President Pezeshkian apologized to the nation for the massacres. On 21 February, a second major wave of student‑led protests erupted at the start of the new academic semester across several Iranian universities. Demonstrations included sit‑ins and campus protests. The renewed unrest coincided with forty‑day memorials for those killed in earlier protests and featured chants against Ali Khamenei as well as calls for Reza Pahlavi to replace him. During the unrest, a student at the Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran died, Iranian state media attributed the death to a "sudden health incident". Protests continued over the following days, with demonstrations from 23 to 25 February adopting the Lion and Sun flag and featuring anti‑government chants. University authorities and security forces declared the protests "illegal", conducted searches of student dormitories, and arrested suspected participants, while Basij members and other security forces attacked protesters at several universities. Following the escalation of the 2026 Iran war and strikes on government and military targets, protests continued across Iran despite renewed internet shutdowns and heavy security deployments. Demonstrations took the form of nightly rooftop chants from residential buildings, with videos showing security forces firing towards people chanting from windows. The assassination of Ali Khamenei marked a turning point, with gatherings and celebrations in several areas despite violent crackdowns. After the government announced Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader on 8 March, protesters chanted "Death to Mojtaba" in residential neighborhoods. Opposition figure Reza Pahlavi later urged Iranians to remain in their homes while continuing rooftop chants as a sign of unity, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened a wider crackdown. During Chaharshanbe Suri celebrations ahead of Nowruz, many Iranians defied official restrictions and gathered in the streets, prompting security forces to disperse crowds with gunfire.
Background
Economic crisis in Iran
Beginning in 2024, Iran's economy experienced sharp inflation, a devalued currency, and an energy shortage, which culminated in widespread electricity and gas disruptions and apologies from president Masoud Pezeshkian. Iran has suffered declines in global influence, most notably following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, a major ally. The economic crisis was compounded by fears of renewed conflict after the June 2025 Twelve-Day War with Israel during which Iran's nuclear facilities were struck by the United States. In September 2025, the UN reimposed sanctions on Iran using the "snapback" mechanism, causing the currency to weaken, resulting in price increases for food supplies such as meat, rice, and other staples, freezing Iranian assets abroad, suspending arms transactions, and imposing penalties related to the country's ballistic-missile programme. Many Iranians feared a broader confrontation involving the US, which contributed to market instability. In the final months of 2025, Iran's economy experienced a sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial, with the US dollar reaching approximately 145,000 Iranian tomans. The country's state statistics centre reported an inflation rate of 42% in December 2025. Food prices rose 72%, while prices for health and medical goods increased by 50% year-on-year. By 3 January, the government increased the value of the rial to 1.38 million. This had no effect, and on 6 January the rial fell to a new record low of 1.5 million to the US dollar, triggering a sharp rise in prices, including food and other essential goods. Analysts cited government monetary and fiscal policies, economic mismanagement, chronic budget deficits, and the continuation of sanctions as key contributing factors. These conditions directly affected trade guilds, particularly businesses dependent on imports. In February 2026, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged that US sanctions policy had contributed directly to Iran's currency crisis. In testimony before the US Senate Banking Committee, Bessent stated: "What we have done is created a dollar shortage in the country. It came to a swift and, I would say, grand culmination in December, when one of the largest banks in Iran went under. The central bank had to print money. The Iranian currency went into free fall. Inflation exploded, and hence we have seen the Iranian people out on the street." Iran is experiencing a mismanaged water crisis. Reports in Iranian media indicated the government planned to raise taxes with the start of the Iranian new year on 21 March, fuelling further concern. Some protest messaging linked economic hardship to criticism of the government's foreign policy; during the December 2025 demonstrations, some participants chanted "Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, My Life for Iran". Discontent has also been due to political corruption, with protesters accusing the government of authoritarianism and prioritising proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas over domestic needs. Iran faces challenges from ethnic secessionist movements from the Kurds, Azerbaijanis, Khuzestani Arabs, and Balochis and from the US and Israel. There were calls for the overthrow of the government, and distrust in the government's calls for dialogue, seeing them as self-serving and deceptive. NPR reported that months before the protests, public anger and frustration had been mounting due to energy shortages, civil rights abuses and widespread corruption, and that the protests sparked concerns that they could deteriorate into something much more serious. The political character of the protests was marked by protesters chanting "Death to the Dictator" in reference to supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and their loss of faith in Pezeshkian, who was elected in 2024 on promises of good governance, but had overseen water and electricity cuts, while failing to deliver on the promise of lifting internet censorship. Pezeshkian promised to meet with protest representatives, and recognized "the constitutional right of peaceful protest", although he lacked control over security forces. By 1 January 2026, dozens of protesters had been arrested and there were cases of security forces firing live ammunition at protesters. Students at Shahid Beheshti University released a statement declaring that "This criminal system has taken our future hostage for 47 years. It won't be changed with reform or with false promises".
Comparison to previous protests
The protests were described as Iran's largest since 2022, when nationwide demonstrations erupted following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. On 30 December, Ellie Borhan, a British-Iranian activist, viewed this wave of protests as stronger than previous ones. Iranian public faith in their government faded since the 2022 crackdown on the Woman, Life, Freedom movement during the Mahsa Amini protests. Protests were previously held in May 2025 by truck drivers beginning in Bandar Abbas, who blocked roads and ports in Iran due to discontent over low salaries, high insurance rates, and possible hikes in fuel prices in the future. Protest slogans have shifted ideologically compared to the 2022 protests. Some new chants increasingly reflect monarchist sentiments. Already in June 2025, during the Twelve-Day War, the exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi had intensified his political efforts and appealed to the international community to help the Iranian people force out Ali Khamenei's theocratic rule while offering himself up as interim leader to take over running the country. In comparison to the Mahsa Amini protests (2022–2023) which were mainly fuelled by girls and women, young men played larger roles in later rounds of the 2025–2026 protests. Market traders were influential during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, helping to mobilise public support that ultimately led to the overthrow of the monarchy. The demonstrations were notable in the context of a large-scale government crackdown on dissidents, including arrests of prominent opponents and the highest number of executions in nearly 40 years. Executions in Iran have reportedly doubled in 2025 compared to 2024; the execution trends were on the rise since 2022, with activists alleging that the Islamic Republic aims to use executions to instil fear in its population and therefore suppress internal opposition. Kurdish-majority regions in Iran have previously undergone severe repression stemming from the Amini protests in 2022, leading to fears of ethnic crackdowns from the government. This was in part due to Iran's accusing Kurdish opposition groups of having incited the 2022 protests. Despite this, Kurdish opposition groups have continued to call for solidarity in the nationwide protests and strikes. Iran has also repeatedly accused Kurdish militias from Iraq of attempting to incite unrest, including in the protests in 2026. Likewise, Balochi regions in Iran, long suffering from underdevelopment and political exclusion, have also previously been subject to violent crackdowns in the Amini protests. On 10 December 2025, Sunni-Balochi militant groups in Iran like the Jaysh al-Adl announced a merger into a united organization called the Jebhe-ye Mobaarezin-e Mardomi (People's Fighters Front). In its coalition video, the union rejected Shia Islam-led clerical rule in the Islamic Republic. The same day, the group carried out an attack on an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps regional command, killing four of its soldiers and wounding three others; it announced responsibility for the attack the next day.
Protests
Initial bazaar
==== 28 December 2025 ==== On 28 December, groups of shopkeepers and merchants at Alaeddin Shopping Centre in Tehran and other commercial centres, including Charsou Mall, went on strike by closing their shops. Simultaneously, protest gatherings formed around these locations, and images and videos of widespread shop closures circulated on social media. According to reports, protesters cited the rising dollar exchange rate and market instability, warning that continued conditions would lead to the bankruptcy of many small and medium-sized businesses. Some gatherings extended into surrounding streets, including Jomhuri Street. Other people had joined in with the shopkeepers to protest against economic conditions on Jomhuri Street. Elsewhere, iron traders in Iran closed their shops in similar protests against the devalued currency. Around the onset of the protests, the value of the Iranian rial sank to a record low of 1.45 million per US dollar before slightly recovering to 1.38 million. The rial had lost approximately 40 percent of its value since the Twelve-Day War, in part due to the sinking of oil revenue from US sanctions. The year-on-year inflation rate was up at 42.2 percent. The protests were first started by shopkeepers who sold electronic goods in central Tehran who shut down their stores. State media revealed blurred footage of initially smaller-scale protests by merchants. Videos and eyewitness accounts showed groups of merchants chanting slogans against economic mismanagement and in some cases expressing anti-government sentiments. Protesters also chanted "Law Enforcement, support, support", calling on security forces to back the protests. The protesters' main demands included stabilizing exchange rates, addressing merchants' economic hardships, creating a predictable business environment, and preventing losses caused by market volatility. There were no reported clashes with security forces on this day and it remained peaceful.
==== 29 December ==== The protests continued into their second day on 29 December and expanded across various parts of Tehran, including the Grand Bazaar. Merchants and shopkeepers closed their businesses and gathered in the streets to protest the unprecedented collapse of the rial and sharp increases in currency and gold prices. Protesters voiced opposition to economic conditions and government management, citing declining purchasing power and rising living costs. Videos shared online showed continued gatherings around Lalehzar, Chaharsouq, and Jomhuri Street, with participants largely non-violent while conveying critical messages toward government economic policies. The merchants at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran joined the electronic goods shopkeepers who had started the protests the previous day. Footage verified by independent sources showed crowds at malls near Tehran's Grand Bazaar chanting "freedom" (Persian: آزادی, romanised: Âzâdi). Law enforcement forces used tear gas to disperse demonstrators outside the Alaeddin Shopping Centre. Protests also spread to other cities in Iran. On the night of 29 December 2025, protests were reported in several regions across Iran, including Qeshm in the south, and Zanjan and Hamadan in the north. Demonstrators chanted slogans critical of the supreme leader, including "Death to the Dictator" on Qeshm Island and "Seyyed Ali [Khamenei] will be toppled this year" in Zanjan. A video and photo of an unidentified protester went viral, who defiantly sat in the middle of the Jomhuri Eslami Street at Tehran and refused to move for motorbike security forces, but later was beaten and forced to leave. The protester became known as Tehran's Tank Man, a reference to the Tank Man during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.
Spread across Iran
==== 30 December ==== By the third day of protests, strikes and security measures had expanded, with shops closing in parts of Tehran such as Shoush and Molavi, as well as in Isfahan's Naqsh-e Jahan Square. Heavy security deployments were reported in Tehran, Mashhad, and at Khajeh Nasir University. Government responses included ordering temporary closures in 11 provinces, including Tehran province, due to cold weather and energy constraints. Security forces fired on protesters in Hamadan and deployed tear gas in Tehran and Malard. Demonstrations spread to additional cities, including Kermanshah, Shiraz, Yazd, and parts of Tehran such as Shadabad and Shush. Students from universities including Amirkabir, Beheshti, Khajeh Nasir, Sharif, Science and Culture and Tehran Science and Technology as well as Isfahan University of Technology and Yazd University joined rallies, chanting slogans such as "Death to the Dictator", "Death to Khamenei", "Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, My Life for Iran", "We are all together", and "Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be toppled this year". President Masoud Pezeshkian called on the government to listen to citizens' demands. In response, a government spokesman said a Communication Group would be implemented. Pezeshkian's comments did not appear to have appeased the protesters, whose demands went beyond just economic stability. Furthermore, some Iranians expressed scepticism in the government's ability to solve the economic problems, citing previous government statements that they were unable to do much about solving the economic problems. Human rights organisations and Gen Z student groups reported that 11 protesters were arrested in the Shoush Square area in Tehran and that five students were detained and four were later released. Another news report published that one student was severely injured at Tehran's Amirkabir University during a crackdown on a campus gathering by members of the Basij militia of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Videos on social media appeared to show students chanting slogans critical of the government, removing signs associated with the office of the Supreme Leader's representatives, and confronting security forces at university entrances.
==== 31 December ==== The people of Isfahan, Kermanshah, and Fasa gathered on the fourth day of protests. In Fasa, people held a large rally in front of the governor's office, and in Kermanshah, the markets went on a complete strike. According to reports, police fired live ammunition and tear gas, at the protesters. At the same time, in Shirvan, working and retired teachers gathered in front of the Education Department. In Kermanshah, repressive forces have been deployed from Ferdowsi Square to the garage (about 8 kilometres), and the heavy presence of security forces is noticeable. One person named Mahdi Samavati was reported to have been killed outside the governor's office protest in Fasa. The semi-official Mehr News Agency quoted the governor of Fasa as denying this report. The Jerusalem Post stated on 31 December that Samavati (given name transcribed as Mehdi) was alive according to several sources, and that the rumour of Samavati's death was disinformation by the authorities aiming at frightening the protesters. Video recordings disseminated online and distributed by the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran depict severe confrontations between demonstrators and security forces in several cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Kermanshah. Protester Amirhesam Khodayarifard was killed by a handgun shot to the head by an Iranian security force member in a protest in Kuhdasht, Lorestan province on 31 December. The state-run IRNA news agency and Mehr confirmed the death and stated that Khodayarifard was a member of the Basij. Government authorities pressured Khodayarifard's family to state that he had been a Basij member and called for online social media silence on the topic. The shooting occurred during clashes with protesters. According to Mehr, 13 police officers and Basij members were injured. The government ordered nationwide total business shutdown in most of the country due to "cold weather", although some analysts say that the real intention is to stifle protests. The shutdown was applied to 21 out of Iran's 31 provinces. The government began threatening to crack down on protesters, and the US State Department stated that they were concerned about protesters "facing intimidation, violence, and arrests". Video footage records protesters like merchants, women's rights activists, and students commonly shouting the slogans "Death to the dictator" and "Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran". In response to the ongoing protests, the Iranian government appointed Abdolnasser Hemmati, a former economics minister, as the new governor of the Central Bank of Iran, following Mohammad Reza Farzin's resignation.
2026
==== 1 January ==== On the fifth day of protests, workers and employees of the central fruit and vegetable market in Tehran stopped working and joined the nationwide uprising by stopping the distribution cycle. Chanting the slogan, "You know with zeal, support support", the protesters called on marketers and the general public to strengthen the national will for change by expanding the strikes. Police officers used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. According to reports, Sarira Karimi, secretary of the faculty council of the Faculty of Law and Political Science and a member of the faculty council of the University of Tehran, who had been arrested on 31 December 2025, was released on 1 January 2026. Protesters were reported to have gathered in Marvdasht and chanted slogans against the Islamic Republic government, such as "This is the year of blood, Seyyed Ali is overthrown". In Mashhad, protesters gathered at Saadi Metro Station, where riot police attempted to disperse the crowd with force. In the Sistan and Baluchestan province, a group of Baluch prisoners released a statement calling on locals to join the wider protests and urged for slogans like "Death to the dictator" and "Baluchestan is awake and despises dictatorship". In Lorestan, home to the Lur minority, protesters were reported lighting fires in the streets while also chanting, "This is the year of blood, Seyyed Ali is overthrown". Additional reports claim officers used live ammunition against protesters. In Lordegan County, gatherings took place in several parts of Lordegan City, including around the governor's office and the municipality square. According to these reports, as tensions escalated, some individuals attempted to damage government and bank buildings. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds, and clashes were reported between the two sides. Several people were injured during the unrest, and unconfirmed reports suggested that multiple deaths had occurred. At least three people, including a boy, were killed in Lordegan. There was a heavy presence of government forces in Qom.
2 January
On 2 January, according to media reports, protests continued in large numbers in Tehran, Qom, Isfahan, Shiraz, Ilam, Mashhad, Karaj, Zanjan, Hamadan, and Qeshm. In Zahedan and Tehran, protests became active again. Funerals for protesters killed by the security forces were held in Fuladshahr, Kuhdasht, and Marvdasht, during which participants expressed opposition to the government, including chants of "Death to Khamenei". At the Kuhdasht funeral for Khodayarifard, Basij and IRGC forces were chased away from the funeral with stones and chants. Khodayarifard's father confirmed that his son was not a Basij member. In the Sadaf district of Hamadan province, protesters were seen setting fire to a Quran and attempting to attack a mosque before being stopped by authorities.
3 January
Protests on 3 January were greater in geographic spread and numbers of protesters than on previous days, and the security presence was also greater. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) named some of the locations of demonstrations, including Kazerun, Malekshahi, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Mashhad, Arkavaz, Isfahan, Tehran, Hafshejan, Karaj, Shahrekord, and Fardis. HRANA reported a cumulative count of 16 fatalities since the beginning of the protests, including one member of government security forces. The themes of the protests, as represented by slogans chanted on 3 January, ranged from economic injustice and governance problems to calls for freedom and justice. HRANA viewed the protest aims as having evolved, with "the boundary between trade-related and everyday demands and political demands ha[ving] become blurred, and [the] ongoing protests hav[ing] taken shape on the basis of accumulated, multilayered grievances." Following statements by US President Donald Trump, where he warns Iran that if they shoot protesters, the United States will come to their rescue, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responded on 3 January by saying "We will not yield to the enemy", and stating that the "rioters must be put in their place." On the same day, the US State Department made a statement condemning the suppression of protesters' funerals. Cloudflare reported a 35% decrease in internet traffic in Iran, with Iranian internet users reporting frequent outages and slow connections.
==== 4 January ==== There was a heavy presence of security forces in the Grand Bazaar of Tehran. Protests and strikes took place in at least 20 major cities and small towns throughout Iran. Donald Trump said that Iranian authorities would be "hit very hard" should additional protesters be killed. In Shiraz, videos showed the police assaulting and beating a man on the ground. When protesters threw projectiles at the police, officers moved toward them on motorcycles. Moments later, a protester poured gasoline on one officer setting him alight.
==== 5 January ==== On the ninth day, the protests continued throughout Iran. In Tehran's Bagh-e Sepahsalar neighbourhood, voices echoed chants of "Death to Khamenei". Near Tehran University, special forces stood on high alert, while reports of widespread strikes emerged from cities such as Marvdasht, where resistance pulsed through daily life. In Yasuj, security forces confronted the families of detainees gathered outside the governor's office. Reports say that the protests have reached the smaller towns of Saman, Sangsar, and Kushk, as part of the dissatisfaction of the Iranian people. In addition to the cities previously mentioned, protests were reported in several other locations across the country, including Saman in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Sangsar in Semnan Province, Zahedan, Fardis in Karaj, Meshkan in Fars Province, and Noorabad in Mamasani. Demonstrations were further documented in Qazvin, Hamedan, Ilam, Mashhad, Neyshabur, Abadeh, Bushehr, Babol, Bojnourd, Kushk in Isfahan Province, Shazand in Markazi Province, as well as the northern cities of Rasht and Sari. According to reports, protesters in these areas gathered in public spaces, chanting slogans and expressing dissatisfaction with the Khamenei government, reflecting the continued spread of nationwide unrest.
6 January
In a joint statement, several major Kurdish political groups, including the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), Komala, the Revolutionary Toilers Association, the Kurdistan Toilers Association, the Khabat Organisation, the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), and the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), expressed support for the protests and called on Kurds in Iran to carry out strikes and demonstrations. The cities of Abdanan and Malekshahi, both in the Kurdish region of Iran, were abandoned by the country's security forces, leaving control of the cities to the protesters. A sit-in was conducted by protesters at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran. Merchants at the market held strikes, in particular with many shops in the corridors of the gold and currency, fabric, footwear and home appliances markets partially or fully closed. The strikes appeared to be spontaneous, and according to some reports the Bazaar became a "war zone". The sit-in was dispersed by security forces using tear gas. The total number of protest locations over the ten days was estimated by HRANA to be 285 locations in 88 cities across 27 provinces, with protests having taken place in 22 universities. The slogans of the protests continued to cover a wide range of economic, social and political grievances. In Yazdan Shahr, locals reported that police used excessive force against protesters, initially deploying tear gas and later firing live ammunition at civilians. The security forces' raids on the Sina Hospital in Tehran and on the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam, aiming to arrest injured protesters, gained national attention. In Ilam, families and medical staff resisted the security forces. Security forces' methods of attack at the Ilam hospital included firing tear gas inside the buildings and on the hospital grounds. The Minister of Interior was ordered to investigate the Ilam raid and provide a report. On 6 January, a total of 15 forced video confessions by arrested protesters had been broadcast on official media. On online social media, Reza Pahlavi called for chants to take place from homes and in streets at 20:00 (8 pm) IRST on the evenings of 8 and 9 January. He explained the aim as being to "keep [the] demonstrations disciplined, and as large as possible". He promised to "announce the next calls to action" depending on the response to his call.
==== 7 January ==== According to HRANA, street gatherings, protests and strikes took place in 37 cities in 24 provinces, bringing the total since the beginning of the protests to 348 sites across 111 cities in 31 provinces. Ten universities joined the protest on 7 January, making a total of 45. The total number of televised forced confessions by arrestees rose to 40. Artists and teachers published statements supporting the protests and criticising the security forces' repression against protest participants. HRANA interpreted the continuation of the protests despite arrests and violence by the security forces as showing that "a significant portion of [Iranian] society [had come to view] the cost of protest as lower than the cost of silence and inaction". Key themes continued to be economic and governance grievances, seen as "two facets of a single issue". HRANA interpreted the artists' and teachers' statements as showing that "professional and cultural sectors [we]re increasingly aligning themselves with the protest narrative". Militants affiliated with the People's Fighters Front (PFF), a newly-formed coalition of Sunni Baloch nationalist militant organisations, assassinated Mahmoud Haqiqat, the police chief of Iranshahr. IRGC-affiliated media reported that protesters killed two Law Enforcement Command officers during protests in Lordegan as well as an unspecified security force member in Malekshahi. In Mashhad, protesters were seen lowering a massive flag of the Islamic Republic and later ripping it in half. The Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan called for a general strike in Iran, receiving support from six other Iranian Kurdish opposition parties. The authorities attempted to forcibly disperse the existing protests over economic conditions in the cities of western Iran (Iranian Kurdistan) ahead of the announced date, reportedly with the use of live ammunition.
Internet blackout and protest intensification
==== 8 January ==== Protests escalated after 20:00, the time specified in Pahlavi's calls for demonstrations. Immediate telephone line and internet cuts occurred in cities, following a government practice before intense crackdowns. Starlink satellite internet service was unaffected, allowing users to bypass government-controlled internet blackouts. Crowds chanting in Tehran appeared to be mainly pro-Pahlavi. CBS News described the protests as reaching "a possible tipping point", and according to Euronews it represented "a new escalation in the protest movement". In Qaemiyeh, protesters pulled down a statue of Qasem Soleimani, an IRGC commander who was assassinated by the US in 2020 and declared a martyr by the Islamic Republic. In Mashhad, a group of protesters had taken down and torn up a large flag of the Islamic Republic. Human rights organisation Hengaw claimed two IRGC Ground Forces members were killed during the protests in Kermanshah. A police officer in Malard County was killed from a stabbing after attempts to control unrest. Human rights groups verified a video showing "distressed family members" in Ghadir hospital in Tehran, looking through a body-pile of protesters killed by security forces.
==== 9 January ==== Protesters took to the streets on Friday night. Pahlavi asked Trump to support the protesters. The Economist reported that the protests had grown to be the biggest since 2009, while "some veteran Iran-watchers thought the protests were the biggest since the overthrow of the shah in 1979." NDTV 24x7 reported a viral trend of women lighting cigarettes to burn pictures of Khamenei in videos, gaining popularity on social media. Because burning Khamenei's image is illegal in Iran, observers have interpreted the videos as defiance, with the women rejecting state authority over their freedom. The trend was recorded by other news outlets, which similarly note rejection of strict religious and governmental standards imposed on women. Khamenei addressed the protests in a televised appearance. Khamenei called Trump "arrogant", saying his hands were stained with the blood of Iranians, and Trump would be overthrown like other arrogant leaders. He described the protesters as harmful individuals and rioters. Protesters set fire to buildings in Tehran, including mosques in the Gholhak and Sa'adat Abad neighbourhoods. Opposition media reported that clashes between protesters and security forces in Kermanshah Province killed at least 10 IRGC Kermanshah Nabi Akram Corps members. Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, Iran's judiciary chief, stated that protesters would face severe punishment. US intelligence officers told Axios that their evaluation these protests were incapable of destabilising the regime was "being reassessed". Trump warned Iran's authorities against killing demonstrators while praising Iranians as "brave people". The Twemoji emoji library changed the Iran flag emoji from the flag of the Islamic Republic to the modern design of the Lion and Sun flag. Airline flights from the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Turkey to Iranian cities were cancelled. Protests across all 31 provinces left millions in the streets, with at least 217 killed in Tehran's. Thousands were arrested by the violent crackdown. Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi warned that, under the Internet blackout, the Islamic Republic may massacre the protesters. Despite the internet outage, on 10 January The Guardian documented reports of security forces opening fire on demonstrations, causing many casualties, with one eyewitness stating they saw "hundreds of bodies" throughout Tehran. Doctors at hospitals in Tehran and Shiraz reported being overwhelmed by injured protesters, with some facilities suspending non-urgent admissions and surgeries due to the influx of patients, many of whom suffered gunshot wounds to the head and eyes. A doctor in Nishapur stated that security forces killed "at least 30 people...among them were children", and "a 5-year-old child was shot while in their mother's arms." According to the doctor, security forces had shot bystanders as well. They added that "hospitals are extremely chaotic and patients terrified to admit and be identified, for this reason, we are trying to inform people and treat them privately in clinics." The Kurdistan National Guard announced that its Zagros Tornado units attacked an IRGC base in Nurabad, Lorestan, and injured three IRGC members.
==== 10 January ==== During the night, Tehran municipality workers were tasked to collect cartridge cases from the streets and deliver them to security forces. Despite the internet shutdown imposed by Islamic Republic authorities, thousands of protesters gathered in Tehran and throughout Iran overnight on 9–10 January, chanting "Death to Khamenei", and "Long live the shah". This followed a call by Pahlavi for protesters to seize control of city centres and hoist the former Lion and Sun flag, with a promise he would return to Iran soon. The Internet blackout disrupted life, including digital transactions, as well as the functioning of hospitals, pharmacies, and banks. Many businesses did not open. The Internet outage has prevented proper documentation of the size of the demonstrations and the extent of police brutality against protesters. Iranian Nobel peace prize winner Shirin Ebadi stated she had heard testimonies reporting hundreds of wounded protesters at a single Tehran hospital. The Guardian received reports stating: "We're standing up for a revolution, but we need help. Snipers have been stationed behind the Tajrish Arg area [an affluent part of Tehran]." Another protester testified that many protesters had been shot, stating, "We saw hundreds of bodies", while a third testimony had witnessed a "very high" number of protesters being killed as security forces opened fire. Human rights activists stated the testimonies were consistent with reports they had received. The Guardian stated that protesters had requested international media cover reports of police brutality, with one activist saying "please make sure to state clearly that they are killing people with live ammunition." Much of the international community, including the EU and US, showed support for the protesters. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X (formerly Twitter), "The United States supports the brave people of Iran", and president Donald Trump stated "Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!" Mohammad Movahedi-Azad, attorney general of Iran, stated that protesters may be charged as the "enemy of God", or moharebeh, a crime prosecutable by death, according to CBS News. CBS also reported that state media reports of "no news of any gathering or chaos in Tehran and most provinces" were contradicted by a photo of demonstrations in Sa'adat Abad, and surveillance video from Fars News Agency in which protesters in Isfahan threw petrol bombs. The Young Journalists' Club, associated with state media, reported that protesters killed three volunteer Basij militia of the IRGC in Gachsaran. Pahlavi called for protests to continue, while stating he was "preparing to return to my homeland" and protesters should seize city centres. Iranian state media reported that Army Lieutenant Amin Salimi was shot and killed "while on mission" in the Khavaran District of Tehran. Human rights activists acknowledged his death on 20 January. Protesters were engaged in violent conflict with government forces until dawn. A video from the Tehran Punak neighbourhood showed that as the government turned off street lights, the protesters set off fireworks and created a sea of light using their smartphones in defiance. An AI generated video, inspired by the actual protest and explicitly described as being AI-generated, was posted on Instagram and according to Deutsche Welle (DW) obtained 60 million views. The AI video was redistributed on other websites, with one redistributed copy receiving 750,000 views according to DW. Because of the lack of clear AI labelling in the redistributed video, DW described the redistributed, unlabelled copies as misinformation, using the word "fake". Videos showed explosions amid protests in Kerman and gunshots in Mashhad. Unlike previous days, on Saturday mostly IRGC and Basij were mobilised, who use live ammunition, according to witnesses. Iran International reported that at least 2,000 protesters had been killed over the previous 48 hours amidst the internet blackout, as security forces escalated use of lethal force. All online service were shut down too, including ATM machines, international phone calls, credit card transactions and business networks, as well as most news sources and social media.
==== 11 January ==== Khamenei and senior Iranian officials said they were willing to talk to the protesters about economic issues, but characterised the unrest as incitement by "rioters" and said the protests were funded by foreign powers. State media reported that President Pezeshkian gave a speech accusing foreign "terrorists" of inciting the protests; Pezeshkian stated: "We are determined, and have decided, to resolve economic problems by any means possible" Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf gave a speech during a parliament session in which he warned of US military bases and regional ships and Israel would be subject to retaliation if Iran is attacked by the US in reference to Trump's threats. In the session, hardliner politicians went to the dais and shouted "Down with America". Demonstrators rallied in Paris, Vilnius, and London in solidarity with the protests in Iran and urged Western governments to support the Iranian people seeking freedom. The New York Times reported that Trump was briefed on military options on Iran but did not yet make a final decision. Forbes reported that the Iranian government successfully shut down the Starlink internet amidst the internet blackout. Other sources say Iran has successfully disrupted Starlink network connectivity nationwide, reporting that up to 80% of Starlink traffic was interrupted due to coordinated jamming operations. During a solidarity rally in Los Angeles on 11 January, a U-Haul truck was used to ram into protesters at Westwood. In Iran, fighters from the Balochi People's Fighters Front killed one Law Enforcement Command officer and injured another in an attack on an LEC patrol vehicle in Dashtiari County, Sistan and Baluchistan Province.
12 January
In Tehran, a pro-government rally was held to counter the protests with tens of thousands of attendees in an attempt to project an air of normality. Videos posted on YouTube showed large crowds of people flying the regime flag and chanting Islamic slogans; however, reports from Iran International stated that images and videos were altered. President Masoud Pezeshkian was seen taking part in one rally. US president Donald Trump stated that Iran has reached out to the United States to negotiate its nuclear programme, following his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its violent crackdown on protesters.
==== 13 January ==== On 13 January, Iran International reported that at least 12,000 people had been killed, describing the massacre as the "largest killing in Iranian contemporary history". CBS News reported that 12,000 people have been killed, and possibly 20,000, as Iran's phone services were being restored, and new information was being released. President Trump urged Iranians to keep protesting and stated that help was on the way, with no details. Trump said in a post on Truth Social:
'"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!... HELP IS ON ITS WAY"' When a reporter asked what he meant by "help is on its way", he replied, "You're going to have to figure that one out. I'm sorry."
14 January
The Kurdistan Freedom Party assaulted the IRGC's headquarters in Kermanshah and, allegedly, according to the KFP's own claims, successfully infiltrated the headquarters and caused severe IRGC casualties. Armed Kurdish groups clashed with the IRGC while seeking to cross the border from Iraq and Turkey into Iran; the IRGC had received warning about their movements from Turkey. A video, analysed by BBC Verify and BBC Persian, showed, according to forensic examination, nearly 200 bodies scattered in the morgue, many with obvious wounds, including one victim who was only 16 years old. The Iran Human Rights Organisation (IHRNGO), based in Norway, said that at least 3,428 protesters were killed by Iranian security forces and at least 10,000 protesters were arrested during the peak of the unrest in Iran from 8 to 12 January. The head of Iran's judiciary stated that those arrested during the nationwide protests would be swiftly tried and executed. Washington has threatened military action in response to the crackdown. British and American troops withdrew from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The US stated that the withdrawal was a precautionary measure. "It's a posture change and not an ordered evacuation", a diplomat told Reuters. Italy and Poland, among other countries, have been urging their citizens to leave Iran "immediately". Donald Trump said in the Oval Office that he had been informed that killings of protesters in Iran had ceased, and he believed that there were "no plans for executions". According to AFP, Iranian state television broadcast footage of Donald Trump's attempted assassination at the 2024 Butler, Pennsylvania rally, accompanied by the Persian message "This time, [the bullet] won't miss", which angered Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz and other close allies of President Trump.
Nationwide curfew and crackdown
==== 15 January ==== The Iranian government imposed a nationwide curfew to prevent any protests and deployed security forces and tanks to patrol towns and cities across the nation. ISW recorded zero protests on either 14 January or 15 January.
==== 16 January ==== The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that 22,104 protesters had been arrested. In Zahedan, a small protest was reported after a Friday prayer sermon by Sunni cleric Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi, during which he condemned the Iranian government's response to the protests. In Tehran, the Friday prayer imam, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, called for the execution of detained protesters. A slight increase in internet activity to 2% was recorded by HRANA, despite the restrictions.
==== 17 January ==== ISW recorded zero protests in the streets on 17 January amidst the ongoing enforced curfew. On 17 January, Iran International reported that security forces were visiting homes and businesses to identify protesters and pressuring them to hand over CCTV footage, while also setting up checkpoints in public areas to detain citizens found with protest images on their phones.
==== 18 January ==== In the evening, a cyberattack targeted IRIB, the Iranian state broadcaster. Hackers hijacked the station's transmissions and aired footage showing exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, followed by a group of men wearing the uniform of the security forces calling for them to not "point your weapons at the people" and instead "join the nation for the freedom of Iran." In Geneva, senior official at Iran's permanent mission to the UN, Ali Reza Jeyrani Hokmabad, requested asylum from Switzerland, deciding not to return to Iran out of fear of the social upheaval there. Hokmabad is reportedly one of several Iranian diplomats who requested asylum from European countries due to the protests.