January 19, 2026 | 04:01 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Protests in Iran have led to approximately 5,000 deaths. According to an Iranian official in the region, as reported by CNA on Sunday, January 18, 2026, the death toll includes around 500 security personnel.
The U.S.-based human rights group, HRANA, stated on Saturday that the death toll had reached 3,308, with 4,382 other cases still under investigation. They claimed to have confirmed over 24,000 arrests.
Iranian protests erupted on December 28, 2025, due to economic hardships and escalated over two weeks into massive demonstrations. The protests extended to calls for an end to clerical rule. This marks the deadliest unrest since the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if protesters continue to be killed on the streets or executed. In a social media post on Friday, he thanked the leaders in Tehran, stating that they had canceled the scheduled executions of 800 people.
The following day, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei referred to Trump as a "criminal" for the loss of life in Iran due to his support of the demonstrators. "We will not drag the country into war, but we will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished," said Khamenei in a public address. He acknowledged the several thousand deaths attributed to "terrorists and rioters" associated with the U.S. and Israel.
The Iranian judiciary indicated that the executions might be carried out. "A series of actions have been identified as Mohareb, which is among the most severe Islamic punishments," said Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir in a press conference on Sunday.
The Iranian official stated that the verified death toll is unlikely to "sharply rise," adding that "Israel and armed groups abroad" had supported and armed those who took to the streets.
Clerics routinely blame the riots on foreign enemies, including the U.S. and Israel, arch-foes of the Islamic Republic that launched military strikes in June.
The harsh and violent crackdowns appear to have quelled the protests broadly, according to residents and state media.
A resident in Tehran said they witnessed riot police shooting into a group of demonstrators, most of whom were young men and women. Videos circulating on social media, some of which have been verified, show security forces engaging in violent crackdowns on demonstrations nationwide.
Read: Khamenei Accuses US, Israel of Killing Thousands in Iran Protests
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