Iranian Officials Say Crackdown Killed About 2,000 People In Nationwide Protests

Iranian officials told Reuters that about 2,000 people were killed in nationwide protests, after the crackdown on protests on January 13, 2026, when bodies were seen in a cold-storage facility in southern Tehran.

“The eyes of decision-makers in Iran do not seem to be watching external threats alone, but they are also preoccupied with internal risks amplified by the war, and the government fears exploiting them to deepen internal unrest”

Al-Jazeera Net

The Times of Israel also cited an opposition-aligned website affiliated with the opposition claiming that 12,000 people had been killed, far more than estimates by NGOs and government bodies.

Al-Jazeera Net

The Times of Israel reported that Iran Human Rights NGO in Norway (IHR) said it confirms 648 deaths in the protests, including 9 children, while warning that the death toll is likely much higher—"in some estimates, more than 6,000 people."

In a separate count, Iran International said it claims that at least 12,000 people have been killed in recent days, and said this is the figure cited by Iranian security officials themselves in internal circles.

The Times of Israel added that Tehran defended the internet shutdown as Iran’s Foreign Minister said the internet was cut in the midst of the 'terrorist operation' against the regime.

DW reported that, according to activists, nationwide protests in Iran left at least 29 people dead, and that HRANA continued to report that at least 1,200 people have been arrested during the nationwide protests against the Iranian regime.

DW said two members of the security forces were among the dead, and that the semi-official Fars News Agency reported late Monday that about 250 police officers and 45 members of the IRGC's Basij volunteer forces were wounded.

ANF

DW also reported that protests occurred in at least 88 cities in recent days, and that the scale of the protests reached more than 250 locations in 27 of Iran's 31 provinces.

The same DW account said protests again reached major cities such as Tehran and Mashhad after violent crackdowns by security forces, especially in rural areas.

DW further reported that Amir Kabir University’s student newspaper said that on the Birjand University campus, located in the center of South Khorasan Province, violent arrests were carried out on Monday afternoon.

Al-Jazeera Net described Iranian decision-makers as focused not only on external threats but also on internal risks amplified by the war, with government circles warning of risks including internal division and the consequences of what is waged in economic wars and soft wars.

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BBC

It reported that President Masoud Bezhkian said Iran's opponents 'are now focusing on targeting the country's economic resilience and increasing the living pressures on citizens after failing to achieve their military goals.'

Al-Jazeera Net said the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence warned of a single danger: 'stirring internal social unrest by exploiting the price-rise issue.'

The same Al-Jazeera Net account stated that official data indicated the annual inflation rate has reached about 54%, and that one dollar equals more than 1,800,000 Iranian rials.

Al-Jazeera Net added that the Ministry of Labor acknowledged the loss of more than one million direct jobs as a result of the war, framing these pressures as part of the internal scene that it said was not calm to begin with.