Beginning on 28 December 2025, demonstrations erupted across multiple cities in Iran amid nationwide unrest against the Islamic Republic government and a deepening economic crisis. The events have been described as the largest uprising since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Western media reported that the ensuing crackdown resulted in a massacre that left tens of thousands of protesters dead, making it one of the largest massacres in modern Iranian history.
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 current regime. Beginning with the bazaari (shopkeepers and merchants) in Tehran's Grand Bazaar and later university students, the demonstrations soon spread not only to major cities but also small settlements chanting anti-government slogans and destroying symbols of the government and the IRGC. Although largely leaderless, the protests escalated on 8 January following calls for protests and general strikes by Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran and one from seven political parties from Iranian Kurdistan. Many demonstrators have been calling for Pahlavi's return to Iran; he has called for a peaceful transition and a referendum to decide 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 fueling the protests, which analysts suggest may be a tactic to increase security forces' willingness to kill protesters.
As of 9 January, millions took to the streets in protests across all 31 provinces. By 10 January 2026, Iran International reported that at least 2,000 protesters had been killed nationwide over the previous 48 hours amid the internet blackout, as 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 security forces fired on protesters, raising international concern over human rights. In addition, thousands were 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. On 11 January, Time reported that an expatriate group of academics and professionals estimated the death toll at 6,000, based on reports from hospitals, without including bodies taken directly to morgues rather than hospitals. By 13 January, multiple sources reported that at least 12,000 and possibly as many as 20,000 people had been killed.
View More On Wikipedia.org