Protests across Iran enter ninth day as death toll hits 29

For the ninth consecutive day, protests and strikes continued across numerous cities in Iran, demonstrating the persistence of civil unrest despite heightened security measures.

According to collected and verified data, the geographic scope of demonstrations has not diminished. Instead, diverse forms of protest activity have persisted nationwide, with at least 257 locations across 88 cities in 27 provinces reporting gatherings. During this period, at least 1,203 people have been arrested.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that the total death toll linked to recent unrest has now reached 29, including four children and two members of Iran’s security forces. HRANA also noted that demonstrations have occurred in more than 250 locations across 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces.

The semiofficial Fars news agency reported that approximately 250 police officers and 45 members of the Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force have been injured during the protests. The Iranian government, however, has not released comprehensive statistics or information regarding the nationwide unrest.

In response to violence in Ilam province, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian instructed the Interior Ministry to establish a special team to conduct a “full-fledged investigation” into events in Malekshahi County, where online videos allegedly showed security forces firing on civilians. The presidency also acknowledged an “incident in a hospital in the city of Ilam,” where security forces reportedly raided the facility.

The hospital assault drew sharp criticism from the US State Department, which described the incident as “a crime.” “Storming the wards, beating medical staff and attacking the wounded with tear gas and ammunition is a clear crime against humanity,” a statement on X read. “Hospitals are not battlefields.”

The Iranian government has claimed that some demonstrators were armed with firearms and grenades, but it has provided no evidence to support these allegations. Ilam, bordering Iraq, is predominantly home to Kurdish and Lur communities and faces significant economic hardship.

The growing death toll has also attracted international attention. US President Donald Trump warned that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” the United States “will come to their rescue,” prompting threats from Iranian officials against American forces in the Middle East.

This wave of protests represents the largest unrest in Iran since 2022, when the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations. While significant, the current protests have not yet reached the intensity of the 2022 uprising. Economic hardship, a collapsing rial, and ongoing dissatisfaction with the government have contributed to the demonstrations. On January 6, $1 traded at 1.46 million rials.

Despite warnings from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who stated that “rioters must be put in their place,” the protests show no sign of abating, reflecting deep societal frustration and the resilience of dissent across Iran.

By Vafa Guliyeva