Iran is facing its most serious internal unrest in years, as protests driven by economic hardship and political anger continue to spread across the country, leaving scores dead and hundreds more injured, according to international media.
Human rights groups say the true scale of casualties may be far higher than officially acknowledged, with hospitals reportedly overwhelmed and the flow of information restricted by widespread internet shutdowns.
Demonstrations began on 28 December, initially sparked by soaring prices and deepening economic distress. But they soon evolved into broader expressions of dissent, with protesters calling for an end to clerical rule and openly challenging the authority of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Crowds have gathered nightly in cities and towns across all of Iran’s provinces, banging on railings, clapping, chanting, and in some cases clashing with security forces warn.
Videos verified by international news outlets show large crowds occupying streets in Tehran neighbourhoods such as Punak, Gisha, and Heravi, while footage from Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, appears to show masked protesters taking cover behind burning debris as gunshots ring out. In some clips, figures on elevated positions appear to fire in multiple directions, though the identities of those involved remain unclear.
Rising death toll
The human cost of the unrest is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. A US-based human rights group reported at least 116 deaths, including protesters and 37 members of the security forces. Another rights organisation based in Norway has put the toll much higher, claiming at least 192 protesters have been killed. International media have confirmed the identities of 26 people who died, including six children.
Medical staff at several hospitals told reporters they had been overwhelmed by casualties. One hospital in Rasht reportedly received around 70 bodies in a single night, while a health worker in Tehran said roughly 38 people had died at one facility alone over a two-day period. Amnesty International said it was examining “distressing reports” that security forces had intensified their use of lethal force.
Iranian state television has aired images of body bags lined up at a Tehran coroner’s office, claiming the victims were killed by “armed terrorists”. Officials have not provided an official nationwide death toll. They say many of those killed were security personnel, and accuse foreign-backed elements of inciting violence.
A crackdown intensifies
Iranian authorities have made it clear that they view the protests as an existential threat. The country’s police chief said security forces had stepped up operations against what he called “rioters” and announced the arrest of what he described as “key figures”. The attorney general warned that anyone participating in protests would be treated as an “enemy of God”, an offence that carries the death penalty under Iranian law.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the demonstrators as “vandals” seeking to please foreign powers. The government has blamed the unrest on the US and Israel, accusing them of orchestrating destabilisation.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview that Iran’s enemies had brought in “terrorists” who burned mosques, attacked banks, and destroyed public property. At the same time, he sought to strike a conciliatory tone, urging families to prevent young people from joining violent actions and saying the government was prepared to listen to grievances and address economic problems.
Information blackout
Much of what is happening inside Iran remains difficult to verify. The government has imposed a sweeping internet shutdown, limiting access not only to the global internet but also, for the first time, severely restricting the domestic intranet that Iranians often use to communicate internally.
Experts say the blackout is more extensive than during the 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising, which followed the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody. That movement left more than 550 people dead and 20,000 detained, according to rights groups.
With traditional reporting routes blocked, much of the current picture comes from smuggled videos, eyewitness accounts, and statements from hospital staff. Internet researchers say the only likely way to connect to the outside world is via satellite systems such as Starlink, though they warn that such connections could potentially be traced.
Trump’s warnings
As protests intensified, US President Donald Trump issued a series of increasingly explicit statements. He said Iran was “looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before” and warned that the US would hit Iran “very hard” if authorities “start killing people”.
He added that the US “stands ready to help”, without specifying what form that assistance might take. US media later reported that Trump had been briefed on military strike options, though unnamed officials said there was no imminent plan for action.
These remarks have fuelled speculation across the region and prompted sharp reactions from Tehran, which views any hint of foreign intervention as a direct threat to its sovereignty.
Tehran’s warning
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a former commander in the elite Revolutionary Guards, warned against what he called “a miscalculation” by Washington.
“Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories as well as all US bases and ships will be our legitimate target,” he told lawmakers.
Iran has repeatedly said that any US strike would not go unanswered. Officials have stressed that retaliation would not be limited to Israel but would extend to American military assets across the region.
Israeli sources told international media that Israel had been placed on a high state of alert amid fears that unrest in Iran could escalate into a broader confrontation. An Israeli military official said the protests were an internal Iranian matter but confirmed that the army was monitoring developments and prepared to respond “with power if need be.”
