Nationwide protests in Iran have resulted in more than 3,000 deaths since demonstrations erupted on December 28, 2025, according to estimates from human rights groups including the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran and Human Rights Activists in Iran.
The protests, described as the largest uprising since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, began with merchants and shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar demonstrating against economic hardship before spreading to cities across all 31 provinces. Demonstrators are now calling for an end to the Islamic Republic government.
Iranian state television acknowledged Tuesday that the country has lost “a lot of martyrs” in the ongoing demonstrations. An Iranian official told Reuters that the combined death toll of protesters and security forces was between 2,000 and 3,000, the first time authorities have provided an overall figure.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that as of recent counts, 1,847 of the dead were protesters and 135 were members of Iran’s security forces. Other sources estimate the death toll could be significantly higher, with some reports suggesting over 12,000 people may have been killed.
The protests initially sparked by frustration over record-high inflation, food prices and currency depreciation have evolved into a broader movement demanding regime change. Security forces have responded with live ammunition, tear gas and crowd-control weapons, according to verified reports and video footage.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Tuesday he was “horrified” by mounting violence against peaceful protesters. “This cycle of horrific violence cannot continue,” Türk said in a statement. “The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labelling of protesters as ‘terrorists’ to justify violence against them is unacceptable.”
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The Iranian government has implemented a near-total internet shutdown since January 8, making it difficult to verify the full scale of casualties and limiting the flow of information from the country.
At least 10,721 people have been detained since protests began, with reports of forced confessions and families being coerced to pay for bullets used in executions. Human rights organizations have called the crackdown crimes against humanity under international law.
President Donald Trump urged Iranian protesters to “take over” the country’s institutions, saying he has canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the crackdown on unrest ends.
