Protesters in Iran defied a government crackdown on Saturday, taking to the streets even as reports suggest hundreds have been killed or injured in recent days. Videos and eyewitness accounts show clashes intensifying as authorities attempt to suppress the demonstrations.
Iran’s attorney general warned that anyone participating in the protests would be considered an “enemy of God,” a charge punishable by death. Security forces have escalated arrests, detaining what officials describe as “key figures,” while blaming much of the violence on “trained and directed individuals,” without providing further details. Human rights groups report that more than 2,500 people have been arrested since the protests began on 28 December.
The unrest, which began over soaring inflation, has spread to more than 100 cities and towns across every province. Demonstrators are now openly calling for an end to the clerical rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who dismissed the protests as a “bunch of vandals” seeking to “please” former U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump, in turn, said the U.S. “stands ready to help” as Iran “is looking at FREEDOM,” while warning Tehran of severe consequences should it “start killing people.”
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Verified video footage shows violent confrontations in Mashhad and Tehran. In Mashhad, masked protesters take cover behind bins and bonfires as security forces advance, while a vehicle burns nearby. Gunfire and the clanging of pots and pans echo through the streets. In Tehran, protesters occupy the Gisha district, and crowds march in Punak and Heravi, demanding the end of the clerical establishment.
Hospitals are overwhelmed. BBC Persian verified reports of 70 bodies brought to one hospital in Rasht on Friday night, while staff at a Tehran hospital reported 38 deaths. The full scale of casualties is difficult to confirm, as the Iranian government has imposed a near-total internet shutdown, blocking access to the global web and severely restricting domestic intranet connections.
Experts warn that limited satellite connections, like Starlink, are the only way to communicate with the outside world—but even these carry risks, as authorities could trace users. Despite the danger, Iranians continue to march, their defiance echoing across the country, signaling that anger over economic hardship and political repression is far from abating.