At Least 648 Killed In Iran As Security Forces Crackdown On Nationwide Protests

Last Updated:January 13, 2026, 10:06 IST

At Least 648 Killed In Iran As Security Forces Crackdown On Nationwide Protests

At least 648 people have been killed in the ongoing protests in Iran. (AFP)

At least 648 people have been killed in Iran as security forces launched a sweeping crackdown on nationwide protests, according to a rights group, amid mounting international concern over the scale of violence and an ongoing internet blackout.

The Norway-based organisation Iran Human Rights (IHR) said on Monday that it had verified the deaths of 648 people, including nine minors, during the unrest.

Thousands more have been injured, while the actual toll is believed to be far higher. Citing unverified estimates, the group said fatalities could exceed 6,000.

Rights groups have warned that a near-total internet shutdown, now stretching beyond three-and-a-half days according to monitoring group NetBlocks, is hampering efforts to document the violence and may be intended to conceal the true extent of the crackdown.

IHR said the blackout has made independent verification of reports “extremely difficult”.

The organisation also estimated that around 10,000 people have been detained since the protests intensified.

“The international community has a responsibility to protect civilian protesters from mass killings by the Islamic Republic,” IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said in a statement.

Despite severe restrictions on online access, images and videos have continued to surface. One video geolocated by AFP showed dozens of bodies laid outside a morgue south of Tehran, with distraught relatives searching for missing family members.

The protests, which erupted more than two weeks ago over economic grievances, have since grown into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s ruling system since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In an effort to reassert control, authorities on Monday organised pro-government rallies across the country in support of the Islamic Republic.

US Issues Travel Advisory

Amid the escalating unrest, the United States issued an advisory urging its citizens to “leave Iran immediately”.

The US Embassy warned that protests against the Iranian leadership were intensifying and could turn violent, leading to arrests, injuries and widespread disruption.

The advisory cited increased security deployments, road closures, disruptions to public transport and continued restrictions on internet and communications services.

It also cautioned that flight operations have been affected, with several airlines suspending or limiting services to and from Iran.

Macron Condemns Crackdown

International criticism also came from France, where President Emmanuel Macron denounced what he described as “state violence” against protesters.

“I condemn the state violence that indiscriminately targets Iranian women and men who courageously demand respect for their rights,” Macron wrote on X.

He added that respect for fundamental freedoms is universal and said France stands with those who defend them.

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