The streets of Iran have turned violent as security forces crack down hard on nationwide protests sparked by a deepening economic crisis. According to the US-based rights group HRANA, the death toll rose to at least 538 by Sunday including 490 protesters and 48 security personnel with more than 10,600 people arrested over two weeks of unrest.
Reports from witnesses and verified videos describe chaotic scenes in Tehran, Mashhad, and other cities, with security forces using live ammunition and pellet guns against demonstrators. An internet blackout has made independent verification difficult, but hospitals in major cities are reportedly overwhelmed with gunshot victims.
🇮🇷 Protests are intensifying in Iran: members of the Kurdistan Freedom Party have created armed groups with the aim of overthrowing the Iranian regime.
Protesters have also set fire to a mosque in Tehran and an administrative building.
In parallel, local women are publishing… pic.twitter.com/1L0YctNHAj
— MAKS 25 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) January 10, 2026
Meanwhile, the prospect of U.S. military involvement is stirring tension across the region. Media reports indicate that President Donald Trump who has repeatedly warned Iran against killing peaceful protesters, is seriously considering action. U.S. officials say Trump has been briefed on various proposals, ranging from direct strikes to indirect support for protesters, though no final decision has been made. One official noted that further rises in the death toll could prompt “drastic” measures.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has hardened his stance, likening some protesters to “rioters” and “terrorists” backed by the United States and Israel. In a state media interview, he accused foreign powers of conspiring to destabilize the country while insisting the government is ready to address legitimate economic grievances. “Our duty is to solve the people’s problems,” he said, “but first we must prevent these mobs from destroying society itself.”
Trump, in response, has declared that the Iranian people “are yearning for freedom” and that the U.S. stands with them. Posts on Truth Social and statements from the U.S. State Department have amplified the warnings, with one message cautioning Tehran: “Don’t play with Trump. He will do anything he says.”
Iran’s parliament reacted with fury to the U.S. rhetoric. Lawmakers chanted “Death to America” during a session, and Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that any American attack would make U.S. military bases in the region and Israel “legitimate targets.” Israel has gone on alert following the comments. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Iran protests, as well as developments in Syria and Gaza. Rubio later posted on social media that America would support “the brave Iranian people.”
The unrest has spilled beyond Iran’s borders. In London, protesters climbed the balcony of the Iranian embassy, removed the Islamic Republic flag, and replaced it with the pre-1979 Lion and Sun national flag, a symbol often used by opposition groups. Solidarity rallies have taken place in Paris, Berlin and other European cities, with demonstrators waving the same historic flag and calling for regime change.
The protests, now in their third week, began over soaring inflation, currency collapse, and energy shortages but have evolved into broader calls against the Islamic Republic’s leadership.
