TEHRAN: At least 25 people have been killed during nearly nine days of protests across Iran, according to human rights groups, as demonstrations initially driven by economic grievances broaden into criticism of the country’s political leadership.
The unrest began in Tehran’s bazaar amid anger over the sharp fall of the national currency and rising inflation, and has since spread to cities in western and southern Iran. While the protests are smaller than the nationwide demonstrations that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022–23, activists say the current wave has expanded rapidly in both geography and demands.
Kurdish rights group Hengaw reported that 25 people, including four minors, have died and more than 1,000 people have been arrested. Another activist network, HRANA, put the death toll at 29, including two members of the security forces, with more than 1,200 arrests as of January 5. Reuters has not been able to independently verify these figures.
Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll for protesters but have confirmed the deaths of at least two security personnel and injuries to more than a dozen others. Police chief Ahmadreza Radan said security forces had acted “firmly” against what he described as rioters, vowing to suppress further unrest.
Officials have accused foreign-backed groups of attempting to turn economic protests into broader instability. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would not “yield to the enemy,” responding to comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned that Washington could support protesters if security forces used lethal force.
Despite the hardline rhetoric, the government has acknowledged mounting economic pressure on ordinary Iranians. President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for dialogue and promised reforms to stabilize the banking and monetary systems. Authorities have announced changes to subsidy policies, replacing preferential exchange rates for importers with direct cash transfers to citizens, a move set to take effect on January 10.
The economic crisis continues to deepen. On Tuesday, the Iranian rial fell to around 1,489,500 to the U.S. dollar, marking a further decline since the protests began.
Rights groups say demonstrations have now taken place in most of Iran’s provinces, with chants increasingly targeting governance and calling for accountability, suggesting that economic frustration may be evolving into a broader challenge for the country’s leadership.–Reuters
