Overview
- Police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan told state TV that those who surrender within three days, especially young people described as unwittingly involved, would be shown leniency.
- President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i, and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said instigators of terrorist incidents will be decisively punished.
- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei portrayed the unrest as an American conspiracy and urged the nation to crush the rioters.
- Human-rights groups report thousands of deaths since protests that began on December 28 over economic hardship escalated into a broad anti-government movement.
- Connectivity remains restricted as officials promise gradual restoration, with reports of Starlink terminals being disabled and the United States publicly signaling support for demonstrators.