Iran has been gripped by its deadliest wave of unrest in years sparked by economic hardship and fuelled by political anger. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign interference, particularly the United States and Israel.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 490 protesters and 48 members of the security forces have been killed since demonstrations erupted on December 28.
Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news agency, reported that at least 109 security personnel have been killed. Other media reports have claimed that more than 10,600 people have been arrested countrywide.
The protests, initially driven by soaring prices, have evolved into the largest challenge to Iran’s establishment since 2022, with chants now openly targeting the ruling system established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Despite an internet blackout imposed since Thursday, footage circulating on social media and verified by Reuters and AFP showed large crowds marching at night in Tehran, chanting slogans and clapping, while fires and explosions were reported in cities including Mashhad.
Iran’s police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said the level of confrontation with “rioters” had been stepped up, while state television aired footage of dozens of body bags at Tehran’s coroner’s office, claiming the victims were killed in incidents caused by “armed terrorists”.
State media broadcast funerals for security personnel killed in protests in cities including Shiraz, Gachsaran, Yasuj, Isfahan and Kermanshah. Authorities have said the situation has stabilised in recent days.
According to official accounts, from Saturday night through Sunday afternoon, major cities, including Tehran, witnessed “no significant disturbances”.
Internet connectivity, which had been disrupted for security reasons, was gradually being restored, officials claimed. The public had distanced itself from “terrorists and rioters” and that the country would overcome the current phase with resilience.
Iran blames foreign powers for stoking the violence. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned Washington against “miscalculation”, saying that any US attack on Iran would make Israel and US military bases and ships in the region “legitimate targets”.
In a televised interview, President Masoud Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the unrest, saying they were ordering “riots” to sow chaos and disorder in Iran. He urged families to prevent young people from joining “rioters and terrorists”.
He said that foreign-linked elements were burning mosques, attacking banks and public property, and killing innocent people. He added that the government was ready to listen to public concerns and was determined to resolve economic problems.
US President Donald Trump said the United States was “ready to help” the protest movement and warned Iran it was in “big trouble” if it continued to suppress demonstrations. Israeli sources said Trump and Netanyahu discussed possible US intervention in a phone call.
Iranian opposition figures abroad, including Reza Pahlavi and Maryam Rajavi, urged protesters to continue, as rights groups warned that the use of lethal force against demonstrators appeared to be intensifying amid the communications blackout.