The demonstrations, which were sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, have been met with a crackdown by Iran’s Islamic regime. Donald Trump has said the US will hit Iran “very hard” if protesters are killed.Anti-government protests in Iran spread further across the country on Thursday.
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights NGO reported that 45 demonstrators have now been killed by Iranian security forces since the unrest began in late December.
Iran protests spread nationwide as NGO reports dozens killed
Wesley Dockery with AP, AFP, dpa
7 hours ago7 hours ago
The demonstrations, which were sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, have been met with a crackdown by Iran’s Islamic regime. Donald Trump has said the US will hit Iran “very hard” if protesters are killed.
This video grab taken from UGC images and posted online on January 4, 2026, show Iranian security forces dispersing protesters with tear gas in central Tehran, as demonstrations first sparked by anger over the rising cost of living entered a second week
Videos circulating on social media show Iranian security forces dispersing demonstrators by forceImage: UGC/AFP
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Anti-government protests in Iran spread further across the country on Thursday.
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights NGO reported that 45 demonstrators have now been killed by Iranian security forces since the unrest began in late December.
What do we know about the protests in Iran?
The demonstrations began last month with protests in the capital, Tehran, over Iran’s economic woes and plunging currency. They have since morphed into a movement that is challenging the legitimacy of the country’s ruling Islamic government.
On Thursday, mass protests were held in Tehran. According to images on social media verified by the AFP news agency, protesters massed on Ayatollah Kashani Boulevard, a key avenue in the northwest of the Iranian capital.
Protests were also reported in other areas, such as Kurdish regions in the western part of the country, Tabriz in the north and the holy city of Mashhad in the east.
Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran before the 1979 Islamic revolution, has thrown his support behind the protests, which are now on their 11th day. Demonstrators on the ground have voiced chants in support of the exiled Pahlavi Dynasty. In response, the Iranian security forces have been accused of opening fire on the protesters. Internet monitoring organization Netblocks on Thursday reported that Iranian authorities have severely curbed internet access in the country as the demonstrations continue.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist, said authorities should exercise “utmost restraint” when handling the demonstrations. He called for “dialogue, engagement, and listening to the people’s demands.”
