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Iran Protests Recede After Brutal Crackdown as Rights Group Cites 3,428 Dead

A nationwide blackout paired with mass arrests has stifled street action, prompting warnings of a renewed flare‑up.

Overview

  • Iran Human Rights reports at least 3,428 people killed and more than 10,000 detained since late December, alleging use of heavy weapons and targeted fire against fleeing demonstrators.
  • The group details curfews and heavy militarization in cities including Tehran, Karaj, Hamadan and Qazvin, with eyewitness accounts of shootings in the streets.
  • Independent verification remains limited as internet and phone services have been largely cut since January 8, with reports that authorities also disrupted Starlink links.
  • The Institute for the Study of War assesses the regime’s security mobilization as unsustainable and says protests could resume once pressure or communications restrictions ease.
  • International responses are taking shape: U.S. outlets report the USS Abraham Lincoln is moving toward the region without Pentagon confirmation, and Germany’s North Rhine–Westphalia has paused deportations to Iran for three months as activists push for a broader halt; Berlin also faces criticism over a possible visit by Syria’s transitional president Ahmed al‑Scharaa.