FLASH NEWS
Nationwide protests in Iran, dozens of casualties reported
2026-01-09 10:26:05 / BOTA
Iran was hit by a near-total internet blackout on Thursday evening as protests against dire economic conditions spread across the country, adding to pressure on the political leadership.
The outage was first reported by the organization NetBlocks, while Iranian authorities did not provide an official explanation for the cause, although in the past the internet has often been blocked during protests.
According to the Iran Human Rights (IHR) organization, at least 45 protesters, including eight children, have been killed by security forces since the demonstrations began in late December. On Thursday, the protests spread to all 31 provinces of the country, becoming the largest protest movement in the past three years.
In the Kurdish regions, merchants responded to the call for a general strike, closing shops in dozens of cities. The Hengaw organization published images of closed shops in the provinces of Ilam, Kermanshah and Lorestan, while accusing authorities of firing on demonstrators, injuring some of them.
Protests continued overnight in Tehran and other cities, while in the southern province of Fars, demonstrators toppled a statue of former Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Suleimani. Verified footage showed crowds cheering as the statue fell.
According to the IHR, Wednesday was the bloodiest day of the protests, with 13 people killed, hundreds injured and over 2,000 arrested. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have officially acknowledged at least 21 casualties, including members of the security forces.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for restraint and dialogue, urging the avoidance of violence in confronting the protesters. However, the economic situation remains the main cause of discontent: the national currency continues to fall, food prices have increased by over 70% in a year, while medicine prices by around 50%, making daily life increasingly unaffordable for citizens.
The protests, which so far lack clear leadership, are taking place in a tense climate internationally, with reactions from the US and European countries, while Iranian authorities continue to accuse external factors of inciting the unrest.
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