Iran: Khamenei’s forces crack down on protesters, 35 dead so far

Tehran. Rising inflation and a struggling economy have severely impacted daily life in Iran. As a result, the people have taken to the streets against the Islamic regime led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. For the past several weeks, people in major cities like Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, and Qom have been protesting for freedom from the Islamic rule. Protesters are chanting slogans like “Death to Khamenei” and “The mullahs must leave the country.”

The current Iranian government has refused to acknowledge the protests against it as a political mass movement and has called it a foreign conspiracy. The regime led by Khamenei is attempting to suppress this popular uprising by force. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned two days ago that “the rioters will be shown their place.” The Associated Press, citing local activists, reported that the death toll from the violence during the anti-government protests in Iran has risen to at least 35, and more than 1200 people have been detained. There are no signs of these protests abating.

Protests in 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces
The report states that 29 protesters, 4 children, and 2 members of Iran’s security forces have been killed. Protests have taken place in more than 250 locations across 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces. These figures come from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. This group, which relies on a network of activists operating inside Iran for its reporting, has provided accurate information during past periods of unrest. Fars News Agency, considered close to Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported late Monday that nearly 250 police officers and 45 members of the IRGC’s Basij force were injured in the protests.

The rising death toll in the anti-government protests in Iran is increasing the likelihood of US intervention. US President Donald Trump warned Iran that the United States would intervene if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters.” While it remains unclear whether Trump will intervene, his comments immediately sparked a sharp reaction. Iranian officials threatened to target US troops in the Middle East. These comments gained added significance after the US military arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a long-time ally of Tehran.

Largest Protests in Iran Since 2022
These are the largest and most widespread protests in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody sparked nationwide demonstrations. Amini had been detained for not wearing a hijab, or headscarf. Iran has faced several rounds of nationwide protests in recent years. The country’s economic situation has worsened due to tightening international sanctions and a 12-day war with Israel, causing its currency, the rial, to plummet to 1.4 million rials to the dollar in December. Protests erupted shortly afterward.

Assessing the scale and scope of the recent protests has been difficult because the media in Iran is under government control, and very little information about anti-government demonstrations is being released. Videos circulating on the internet and social media offer only blurry and indistinct glimpses of people in the streets or the sound of gunfire. In Iran, journalists face numerous restrictions on their reporting, such as needing permission to travel throughout the country, as well as the threat of harassment or arrest by authorities.