At least 12,000 killed in Iran crackdown as blackout deepens
Published January 13, 14:47
Iran is experiencing one of the deadliest crackdowns in its contemporary history, with at least 12,000 people reported killed during protests over two consecutive nights, January 8–9. Most of those killed were young people under 30, and security forces including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij carried out the violence on direct orders from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top government officials. The killings were organized, deliberate, and not sporadic, marking an unprecedented escalation in state repression.
The regime has imposed a comprehensive communications and media blackout. Internet access remains largely shut down, mobile networks are restricted, and almost all newspapers and independent media outlets have been silenced. These measures aim to prevent information from reaching both domestic and international audiences and to obscure the full scale of the crackdown.
Iran International verified casualty reports through multiple sources, including government insiders, security personnel, eyewitnesses, and medical staff. Field reports and cross-checked data helped build a clearer picture of the repression, highlighting systematic killings, targeted attacks on protesters, and efforts to manipulate information about victims. Families of the deceased and witnesses face intimidation and pressure from authorities, further complicating accurate documentation.
The outlet has called on Iranians inside and outside the country to share documents, photos, videos, and testimonies to preserve the names and stories of the victims. Iran International emphasizes that the massacre cannot be hidden, promising ongoing verification and reporting to international bodies, and framing the deaths as part of a broader struggle for justice and the national revolution of Iranians.
Iran Protests: Deadly Crackdown, Regime Under Pressure, and Trump Announces Tariffs
Published January 13, 14:41
Protests in Iran, which began in late December over worsening economic conditions and political grievances, have escalated into one of the deadliest crackdowns in the country’s recent history. An Iranian official told Reuters that around 2,000 people have been killed so far, while the UN human rights office estimates the death toll in the hundreds. Demonstrators continue to demand political reform, justice, and basic freedoms, despite a severe and violent response from security forces.
The Iranian regime has imposed extensive restrictions on communication, with the internet remaining largely shut down for over 108 hours, limiting access to international calls and messaging. This blackout is widely seen as an attempt to prevent organization of protests and to obscure the scale of the regime’s violent crackdown from the outside world.
The international response is intensifying. The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, called the ongoing cycle of violence unacceptable, condemning the killing of peaceful protesters and warning against labeling them as “terrorists” to justify repression. The European Union is preparing further sanctions, and U.S. citizens in Iran have been urged by the virtual embassy to leave the country immediately due to safety risks.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that countries trading with Iran will face a 25% tariff on all goods and services, signaling heightened economic pressure. Tehran has indicated willingness to resume talks on its nuclear program, but the regime remains under severe domestic and international pressure as protests and crackdowns continue.
Witnesses Report Heavily Armed Police in First Calls from Iran: “No Hope”
Published January 13, 10:20
New testimonies from Iran have reached the outside world after phone calls abroad became possible again on Tuesday, AP reports.
Several people reportedly called the news agency and described how the streets of the capital, Tehran, are filled with police carrying shields, body armor, shotguns, and tear gas grenades.
At the same time, the aftermath of the protests that have shaken Iran for weeks is visible. Several banks and government buildings in Tehran have been burned down, and ATMs have been vandalized.
“– People, especially the youth, have no hope but still talk about continuing to protest,” taxi driver Reza told the news agency.
Sources:
https://ap.omni.se/International/a/5p6bre
AP: Calls Start Reaching Out from Iran – Internet Remains Shut Down
Published January 13, 09:00
The Iranian regime appears to have slightly eased the extensive restrictions on the country’s telecom network. News agency AP reports that it has received several mobile calls from people in Tehran.
The easing seems to apply only to international calls. It is also not possible to call back the Iranian numbers.
According to the news agency, the people calling report that it is still not possible to send text messages. Internet access remains shut down, except for a limited number of regime-friendly websites.
The human rights organization NetBlocks wrote on X that the internet has been down for 108 hours.
The internet blackout and restrictions on the mobile network are methods for the regime to make it harder for demonstrators. They are also interpreted as a way to conceal the regime’s violent response.
Sources:
https://ap.omni.se/the-latest-iran-eases-some-restrictions-allows-calls-abroad-as-death-toll-spikes/a/vrA6p4
U.S. Urges Citizens to “Leave Iran Now”
Published January 13, 08:37
American citizens currently in Iran are urged to leave the country immediately if they can, the U.S. virtual embassy in Iran wrote on its website.
The updated travel advisory warns U.S. citizens of dangers such as terrorism, kidnapping, and arbitrary arrests.
“Leave Iran now. Have a plan to leave Iran that does not rely on assistance from the U.S. government,” it states.
The website reminds Americans that there is no physical U.S. embassy in the country.
Sources:
https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/iran.html
Trump: Tariffs for Anyone Trading with Iran
Published January 12, 22:54
The U.S. is imposing 25 percent tariffs on all countries that trade with Iran, Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The tariffs apply to both goods and services and take effect immediately.
“‘This order is definitely final,’” Trump wrote.
Sources:
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115884319075881590
Witnesses in Iran: “They Killed, Killed, and Killed”
Published January 12, 22:02
Omid had gone out onto the streets of the Tehran suburb where he lives to protest the Islamist regime’s tight grip on power when gunfire suddenly began to rain down.
He told the BBC that they were unarmed, but the regime’s security forces met them with Kalashnikov-style weapons.
“– They shot directly into the ranks of demonstrators, and people fell where they stood,” says Omid, whose real name is different.
He is not alone in his testimony, but out of fear of harsh punishment from the regime, those interviewed wished to remain anonymous. A young woman said the protests spread to all the suburbs of the capital, even areas where criticism of the regime had previously been uncommon.
“– But on Friday, the security forces killed, killed, and killed. Seeing it with my own eyes affected me so deeply that I completely lost courage. Friday was a bloody day,” she said.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgp70ynx1po
https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/svenska-familjen-lamnade-iran-mitt-i-natten-varsta-jag-varit-med-om
Sources: Trump Leaning Toward Attack – Vance Trying to Stop Him
Published January 12, 20:36
Several senior officials in Donald Trump’s administration are trying to persuade the president to use diplomatic measures instead of attacking Iran. Trump himself, however, is leaning toward a military strike, U.S. sources told the Wall Street Journal.
According to the reports, it is Vice President JD Vance who is leading the efforts to convince Trump to pursue diplomacy.
Trump has stated that Tehran has indicated it is willing to resume talks on the country’s nuclear program, which the U.S. wants to limit. According to WSJ sources, Trump has not made a decision but is believed to prefer attacking Iran first and then negotiating with the regime.
Iran’s Islamist regime is under heavy pressure both internally, where pro-democracy demonstrators continue to challenge the authorities, and externally, after security forces responded to the protests with deadly violence.
Sources:
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/trump-iran-plans-military-strikes-diplomacy-e74b1d8b?mod=hp_lead_pos2
https://afp.omni.se/at-least-648-protesters-killed-in-iran-crackdown-rights-group/a/JOJnxb
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/11/middleeast/profiles-iran-protests-killed-intl
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/11/iranian-student-rubina-aminian-killed-during-protests-shot-in-head-from-close-range
Iranian Diplomats Expelled from the European Parliament
Published January 12, 17:54
Iranian diplomats are to be expelled from the European Parliament’s premises. This decision was made by Speaker Roberta Metsola following the Tehran regime’s violent response to pro-democracy demonstrations in Iran.
The diplomats will no longer have access to the Parliament in Strasbourg, nor to the institution’s offices in Brussels and Luxembourg. Politico reports that the decision means no one working for the regime will be allowed into the premises.
Demonstrators in Iran are demanding the overthrow of the Islamic regime. On Monday afternoon, the human rights organization Iran Human Rights reported that at least 648 demonstrators have been killed, while also warning that the actual death toll may be significantly higher.
Sources:
https://omni.se/iranska-diplomater-sparkas-ut-fran-europaparlamentet/a/PdRvoe
23-year-old Robina Aminian Among Victims of the Regime’s Violence: “A Strong and Brave Girl”
Published January 12, 09:08
The internet in Iran has been shut down for almost four days, but despite this, information about victims of the regime’s violence is beginning to trickle out to the outside world.
Among those killed is 23-year-old fashion student Robina Aminian. Her uncle told CNN that last Thursday she left the university in Tehran to join a demonstration. There, she was reportedly shot dead by security forces.
“– She was a strong, brave girl. She wasn’t someone you could control or make decisions for. She fought for things she knew were right and she fought hard,” her uncle said.
In Kermanshah, in western Iran, three-child father Ebrahim Yousifi was shot dead during a demonstration, his cousin told the website. In Hengaw, in the northwestern part of the country, 39-year-old bodybuilder Mehdi Zatparvar was killed. In his last Instagram post, he wrote:
“‘We just want our rights – the voice that has been silenced for forty years must be heard.’”
According to the U.S.-based human rights organization HRANA, more than 490 demonstrators have been killed, including eight children, during the 15 days of ongoing protests.
Sources:
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/11/middleeast/profiles-iran-protests-killed-intl
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/11/iranian-student-rubina-aminian-killed-during-protests-shot-in-head-from-close-range
https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/ExpQXK/robina-23-drept-under-protestene-i-iran
Trump Considers “Very Powerful” Options in Iran
Published January 12, 07:02
Donald Trump is considering “very powerful” military actions against the Iranian regime following the violence in the country. The president told reporters aboard Air Force One, several media outlets report.
“– We take this very seriously. The military is looking at it,” he said.
Trump also said that Iran’s leaders have called and wanted to negotiate. According to the president, a meeting is being planned, but the U.S. “may need to act before the meeting.”
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if Iran kills demonstrators. According to the U.S.-based human rights organization HRANA, at least 538 people have been killed, of whom 490 were demonstrators.
Sources:
https://omni.se/trump-overvager-mycket-kraftfulla-alternativ-i-iran/a/pBABQW
Sources: Concern in the U.S. – Attack Could Backfire
Published January 12, 00:01
Donald Trump has in recent days been briefed on a range of possible options for how the U.S. could act against the regime in Iran to support the demonstrators, sources told CNN.
However, there is reported internal concern that military strikes could have unintended consequences. According to the information, the Trump administration fears that a U.S. military intervention could instead undermine the protests and push the population to rally behind the government in Tehran.
More formal discussions on the U.S.’s next steps are expected in the coming week. There is no doubt, according to sources speaking to the Jerusalem Post, that Trump has decided to intervene.
“– What he hasn’t decided is how and when,” one of them said.
Sources:
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/11/politics/trump-weighs-potential-military-intervention-in-iran
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-883014
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/iran-threatens-attacks-us-bases-trump-intervenes-protests-death-toll-rcna253416
https://reuters.omni.se/deaths-from-iran-protests-reach-more-than-500-rights-group-says/a/q6APd0
Regime Calls for “National Resistance March” in Iran
Published January 11, 22:42
The Iranian regime is describing the widespread protests in the country as “riots.” On Sunday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the country is facing an “Iranian national resistance struggle” and accused the United States and Israel of fueling the anti-regime demonstrations.
The government has declared a three-day national mourning period for security forces who have been killed. Images broadcast on state-controlled television show burning buildings, including a mosque, AFP reports.
According to human rights organizations, hundreds of demonstrators have been killed by security forces responding violently to the protests. In total, more than 500 people are reported to have been killed.
Pezeshkian is urging the population to take part in a “national resistance march” against the demonstrators.
Sources:
https://afp.omni.se/iran-rights-group-warns-of-mass-killing-govt-calls-counter-protests/a/d4lR0z
https://news.sky.com/story/iran-latest-us-and-israel-discuss-iran-intervention-as-tehran-vows-retaliation-against-american-regional-bases-amid-ongoing-protests-13492391?postid=10835541#liveblog-body
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8no
https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/stigande-dodssiffra-i-protesterna-i-iran-kaosartat-pa-sjukhusen
https://tt.omni.se/manifestationer-till-stod-for-irans-demonstranter/a/V6qzpJ
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/iran-protests-01-11-26?post-id=cmka8jkvx00003b6qwqkqozcn