Washington/Tehran, January 16, 2026 – The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) announced on Thursday that the death toll from Iran's ongoing nationwide protests has climbed to 2,677, with an additional 19,097 people detained amid a brutal security crackdown. The figures, compiled from verified reports by activists inside and outside Iran, highlight the escalating human cost of the unrest that began in late December 2025 and has evolved into one of the most severe challenges to the Islamic Republic's rule since the 1979 Revolution.
HRANA's latest update, released amid partial restoration of internet connectivity after a near-total blackout imposed since early January, breaks down the fatalities as primarily protesters, with the group noting that the toll includes civilians, minors, and some security personnel caught in clashes. The agency emphasized that its data relies on cross-verified accounts from eyewitnesses, medical sources, families, and visual evidence, though it cautioned that the true number could be higher due to ongoing investigations and restricted access to information in many provinces.
Iranian authorities have not released any official comprehensive figures on deaths, injuries, or arrests related to the protests. State media and officials have acknowledged some security force casualties—reporting over 100 members killed in clashes—but have largely portrayed the demonstrations as "riots" and "terrorism" orchestrated by foreign adversaries, particularly the United States and Israel. No detailed breakdown of protester deaths has been provided by Tehran, which has instead focused on denying mass executions and claiming that lethal force was used only against armed "elements."
The protests erupted on December 28, 2025, in Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar, where shopkeepers, merchants, and small business owners staged strikes and demonstrations against skyrocketing inflation, the dramatic collapse of the Iranian rial currency, and worsening economic conditions. The rial had depreciated sharply throughout 2025, losing nearly half its value amid U.S. sanctions, declining oil revenues following regional conflicts (including a 12-day air war with Israel in June 2025), and domestic mismanagement. By late December, the exchange rate reached record lows—around 1.37 million to 1.44 million rials per U.S. dollar—driving annual inflation to over 42 percent, with food prices surging by 72 percent and essential goods becoming unaffordable for many households.
What began as economic grievances quickly spread nationwide, encompassing 31 provinces and hundreds of cities and towns. Demonstrators, including workers, students, university students, and ordinary citizens, escalated demands from relief on living costs to broader calls for systemic change, chanting slogans against government corruption, mismanagement, and foreign policy priorities perceived as diverting resources from domestic needs. Strikes paralyzed key sectors, including markets, transportation, and services, while protests featured symbolic acts like burning images of leaders and waving pre-revolutionary flags.
The government's response intensified rapidly. Security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij militia, deployed widely, using tear gas, live ammunition, pellet guns, and other crowd-control measures. A near-total internet blackout from early January severely hampered reporting, with communications disruptions limiting real-time verification. HRANA and other groups noted a sharp spike in casualties during this period, particularly after January 8, when clashes reportedly claimed hundreds in Tehran and other cities. Eyewitness accounts and leaked footage described security forces firing directly at crowds, with makeshift morgues set up in facilities like Kahrizak to handle overflow bodies.
HRANA's tally of 2,677 deaths represents a significant increase from earlier reports—around 2,400–2,571 in mid-January—and includes at least a dozen children among the victims. The agency also documented over 18,000–19,000 arrests, many involving severe injuries from beatings or shootings. Other rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights, have corroborated patterns of lethal force, while some exile sources and media estimates suggest the total could exceed 12,000–20,000 when including unverified cases from hospitals and morgues.
The economic roots of the unrest trace back to years of structural issues exacerbated in 2025. Sanctions reimposed by the UN Security Council, combined with the fallout from the Israel-Iran conflict, crippled oil exports and access to hard currency. Domestic factors—corruption, subsidy cuts, energy shortages (including daily power outages), and water crises—compounded the misery. The rial's freefall triggered panic buying and hoarding, while government attempts at stabilization, such as appointing a new central bank governor in early January, failed to quell public anger.
Iranian officials have accused external powers of fueling the unrest, labeling protesters as "rioters" backed by the U.S. and Israel. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and IRGC commanders have vowed a firm response, with some provinces declaring an end to "tolerance." Pro-government rallies have been organized in response, while threats of swift trials and executions for alleged "moharebeh" (waging war against God) have raised fears of further repression.
The protests have drawn international attention, with U.S. President Donald Trump issuing warnings of intervention if killings continued, and European nations summoning Iranian diplomats to condemn the violence. As the unrest enters its third week, demonstrations appear to have slowed under the weight of the crackdown, though sporadic strikes and gatherings persist in some areas.
HRANA, founded in 2006 as a non-governmental network of advocates, has consistently tracked human rights abuses in Iran, providing data during previous waves like the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests. Its reports, while not independently verifiable in real-time due to restrictions, have often aligned with eventual official acknowledgments or other monitoring groups.
As the situation remains fluid, the death toll and arrest figures underscore the profound human impact of Iran's worst internal crisis in decades, rooted in deep-seated economic despair and governance failures.
