Overview
- HRANA reports at least 38 people killed and more than 2,200 detained, while other monitors have cited lower death tolls and differing arrest figures.
- Protests that began with a Tehran Grand Bazaar shutdown have spread nationwide, with HRANA counting actions across all 31 provinces and 348 locations.
- Security forces used tear gas at Tehran’s bazaar and in multiple cities, and rights groups and verified videos describe live fire and a raid on Ilam’s main hospital.
- Iran’s judiciary chief warned there would be “no leniency” for those he accuses of aiding foreign enemies, as the army chief threatened a response to U.S. and Israeli rhetoric and Trump warned of intervention.
- President Masoud Pezeshkian has promised limited relief, including direct cash transfers set to start Jan. 10, as exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi urges 8 p.m. chants on Jan. 8–9 to sustain momentum.