Iranian official says at least 5,000 killed in protests
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Sun, 01/18/2026 - 10:06
The deadliest clashes were concentrated in Iran's Kurdish majority regions, according to report
A video grab from social media on 9 January 2026 shows protesters in Saadat Abad Square in Tehran (AFP)
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An Iranian official said on Sunday that the authorities have verified the deaths of at least 5,000 people in anti-government protests that rocked the country in recent weeks.
Demonstrations erupted in late December over anger at Iran’s collapsing economy, swelling into nationwide mobilisations calling for the fall of the government.
The uprising was met with a deadly crackdown by authorities, which escalated with a nationwide internet shutdown beginning on 8 January, with reports of security forces targeting protesters with live ammunition.
The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, blamed the high death toll on "terrorists and armed rioters" who killed "innocent Iranians", and were equipped and supported by "Israel and armed groups abroad".
He added that the "final toll is not expected to increase sharply".
The official said the deadliest clashes were concentrated in Iran's Kurdish region in the north west, where tensions have flared between Kurdish separatists and government forces during previous periods of unrest.
Kurdish-Iranian rights group Hengaw also reported that Kurdish majority areas had experienced the most violent protests and repression.
On Saturday the US-based HRANA rights group said it had verified 3,090 deaths, including 2,885 protesters.
Amiry-Moghaddam, co-founder of the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights NGO, told Middle East Eye in a video interview earlier this week that police were taking "the wounded people and [shooting] them in in the head".
Witness accounts indicate that many bodies have been piled in hospital morgues.
Internet blackout eases
Also on Saturday, in the first official public acknowledgement of the scale of deaths from the unrest, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said "several thousand" people were killed during the protests.
Khamenei blamed US President Donald Trump for the violence, accusing Washington of responsibility for the casualties, destruction and turmoil across the country.
"We consider the US president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation," Khamenei said, according to state media.
Iran protests: How the internet blackout opened the door to a deadly crackdown
»
"The latest anti-Iran sedition was different in that the US president personally became involved."
Trump had threatened "very strong action" against Iran if the government executed protesters. But on Thursday he said he had been told "on good authority" that "the killing in Iran is stopping, and there's no plan for executions".
Iran’s foreign minister later said the country had "no plan" to carry out hangings of those detained during the protests.
In remarks widely seen as a response to Washington, Khamenei said Iran would not be pushed into conflict. "We will not drag the country into war, but we will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished," he said.
Meanwhile, residents told Reuters on Saturday that, amid an apparent easing of the internet blackout, the crackdown seems to have quelled the unrest, adding that there were no signs of major protests on Thursday or Friday in Tehran.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks posted on X that metrics indicated a "very slight rise in internet connectivity" across the country, remaining at around 2 percent of ordinary levels.
The semi-official Mehr News Agency reported that internet service had been restored for some users. The ISNA news website said SMS service had also been reactivated.
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