Overview
- Rubina Aminian, a 23-year-old fashion and textiles student, was identified by her family after being shot in the back of the head at close range, with relatives saying they were forced to bury her by a roadside without customary rites.
- Doctors and eyewitnesses describe security forces firing live rounds and pellets, with many wounds to the head and neck and hospitals overwhelmed, including an eye hospital pushed into crisis mode.
- Protests that began over economic collapse have spread to more than 180 cities across all provinces, while a sweeping internet and phone shutdown is hindering coordination and independent verification.
- Authorities have hardened their stance by branding demonstrators as terrorists and invoking charges like “offence against God,” as the Artesh pledges to protect infrastructure in a shift toward a military posture.
- Activist groups report sharply differing tolls, from hundreds killed to thousands detained, as the White House says President Trump stands ready to help and media report he has been briefed on options, while Tehran threatens retaliation against U.S. and Israeli targets.