Following the escalation of mobilizations and violent clashes in Iran over the last two days, the regime appears to be “responding” in many areas with live ammunition. A doctor in Tehran, who spoke to TIME magazine under condition of anonymity, reported at least 217 protester deaths, “most from bullets,” based on data from just six hospitals in the Iranian capital. If this number is confirmed, it clearly indicates a strategy of extensive suppression, prepared through the internet and phone blackout imposed on Thursday evening, January 8th.
The report of hundreds of deaths comes as US President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned the Iranian regime that it will “pay dearly” if it kills protesters who have been taking to the streets in increasing numbers since December 28th. Such a development would constitute, according to estimates, a direct provocation toward Washington, with tensions further escalating due to harsh statements broadcast by state media of the Islamic Republic.
The actions of the Iranian anti-regime protesters in Iran’s 2nd-largest city Mashhad drive home just how large the protests are.
Well over 100 000 protesters were involved in blocking roads in and around the city. pic.twitter.com/d1jPAsqGQI
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 10, 2026
How the protests in Iran began
The demonstrations, which have now spread to all 31 provinces of the country, began as a reaction to an economy in free fall. Very quickly, however, they acquired a political character, with demands extending to the overthrow of the authoritarian Islamic regime that has governed Iran since 1979, in a population of approximately 92 million.
Although the gatherings have been described as largely peaceful, with slogans like “Freedom” and “Death to the Dictator,” incidents of vandalism against government buildings have also been reported.
“Most of the dead were young people”
The doctor cited by TIME reported that authorities removed bodies from the hospital on Friday. As he said, most of the dead were young people. He described an incident outside a police station in northern Tehran, where according to his testimony, security forces “fired with machine guns” at the crowd, with protesters falling dead “on the spot.” Activists reported that at least 30 people were shot in this specific incident.
BREAKING:
A Tehran doctor told TIME that at least 217 protesters have been recorded dead across six hospitals in the city, most killed by live ammunition, as Islamic security forces opened fire on anti-regime protesters. pic.twitter.com/F9luXtE8gu
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 10, 2026
Human rights organizations, however, on Friday reported significantly lower death tolls compared to the doctor’s estimate, with the discrepancy attributed to different recording criteria. The Washington-based Human Rights Activist News Agency, which counts only identified victims, reported approximately 63 deaths.
Meanwhile, Iranian leadership and judiciary sent stern messages yesterday to those participating in the mobilizations. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a speech broadcast Friday, declared that “the Islamic Republic will not retreat in the face of vandals” seeking to “please” Trump. Additionally, Tehran’s prosecutor stated that protesters could face even the death penalty. In a state television broadcast, a Revolutionary Guards official warned parents to keep their children away from the mobilizations, saying: “If… you get hit by a bullet, don’t complain.”
A nationwide internet blackout was reported in Iran, internet monitoring group NetBlocks said, as protests over economic hardships continued around the country https://t.co/Sti1POOmTp pic.twitter.com/qmefuEUmra
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 9, 2026
Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, further stated that the country is in the middle of a war. According to him, “the riots constitute a civil, semi-terrorist group” and “Israel is behind the current situation.”
Posts that began circulating on social media Friday, combined with the regime’s brutal threats, reinforced the image that clear suppression orders have been given. “I think that under current circumstances, since the demonstrations have spread to middle-class areas, the regime will not hesitate to use brutal force,” Hussein Hafezian, an Iranian political scientist based in New Jersey, told British media. As he noted, “right now they consider what’s happening an existential threat,” predicting that “from now on, casualties will increase dramatically.”
In the same context, Hafezian added—in a statement that captures the level of tension—that “if Trump hits some riot police barracks, it could change the game.” Secretary of State Rubio stated that Washington “supports the brave people of Iran”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio today expressed US support for the people of Iran, where demonstrations have continued for 14 days, while internet access has been cut since Thursday. “The US supports the brave people of Iran,” Rubio wrote on X.
US President Donald Trump, for his part, warned Iranian authorities again yesterday Friday: “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too.” “If they start killing people like they did in the past, then we will intervene,” added the Republican, explaining: “That doesn’t mean we’ll send ground troops, but it means we’ll hit them very, very hard, where it hurts.”
Meanwhile, protests continued Friday night in Tehran and other Iranian cities, where thousands of residents poured into the streets, according to videos shared on social media platforms, despite internet access not being restored in the country.
