Media: Iran unrest deepens with dozens of deaths, mass arrests

Mass protests continue across Iran following a sharp collapse of the national currency, the rial, with demonstrations that began in late December becoming the country’s largest since 2022, amid reports of dozens of deaths and hundreds of arrests.

According to Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) and its media project HRANA, at least 35 people have been killed over nine days of protests, while more than 1,200 participants have been arrested, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reports. 

Among the dead are 29 protesters, four children, and two members of the security forces, rights activists say.

Protests have taken place in at least 88 cities across 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces. At a certain stage, security forces began using harsh measures against demonstrators, particularly in smaller towns. HRANA reports that this response triggered a new wave of protests in major cities, including Mashhad and Tehran. Students from at least 17 universities nationwide joined the demonstrations, after which security forces reportedly carried out raids directly on university campuses, according to student media.

On January 5, a representative of Iran’s judicial system stated that no leniency would be shown toward those detained during the protests. The current unrest is described as the most extensive since the 2022 protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her detention by the so-called morality police.

Mass demonstrations in Iran have been ongoing since December 28, 2025. Media reports indicate that they began at Tehran’s main bazaar, where many merchants closed their shops in protest against hyperinflation and soaring prices. On December 29, 2025, the rial fell to a historic low of around €0.00002 per unit. In October, World Bank data showed food inflation in Iran reaching 64.2 percent, with only South Sudan ranking higher globally.

Earlier, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei commented on the protests, stating that harsh measures should be taken against participants in what he described as mass unrest.

By Jeyhun Aghazada