Iran

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Pro-government supporters take to the streets in Iran

Iran drew tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators to the streets Monday in a show of power after nationwide protests challenging the country’s theocracy.

https://apnews.com/live/iran-protests-updates-1-12-2026?

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?? 500+ killed in Iran protests

Via Truth Social A crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran has killed at least 538 people and even more are feared dead. Tehran warned that the U.S. military and Israel would be "legitimate targets" if America uses force to protect demonstrators. (AP) Why it matters: Trump and his national security team are weighing potential responses, including cyberattacks and direct strikes by U.S. or Israel. Footage circulating on social media shows protesters dancing and cheering around a bonfire in Tehran. Screenshot via AP Another 10,600+ people have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous rounds of unrest in Iran. Go deeper.

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Iran's leadership is under pressure as protests continue. Here's what to know

Iran’s leadership is under incredible pressure as the largest protests in years against the Islamic theocracy shake the country. Government hard-liners have threatened to attack the U.S. military and archrival Israel over support for the demonstrators, though for now President Donald Trump says Iran has signaled it wants to negotiate with Washington. Read more.

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How AP reports on the death toll from Iran's protests Police consider assault charge after U-Haul drives into Iran protest in Los Angeles

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Death toll from Iranian protests surpasses 2,000, activists say, as chaos recalls 1979 revolution

The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran surpassed 2,000 people on Tuesday, activists said, as Iranians made phone calls abroad for the first time in days after authorities severed communications during a crackdown on demonstrators. That figure dwarfs the death toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Read more.

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Trump cancels meetings with Iranian officials and tells protesters 'help is on its way'   Iran Protest Toll The death toll from protests in Iran has surpassed 2,500 people, with arrests exceeding 18,000, according to a US-based rights group relying on activists inside the country. A nationwide internet blackout has restricted information, and the Iranian government hasn’t released casualty figures, but state television yesterday acknowledged for the first time that many have died.  Unrest began in late December among Tehran merchants after the national currency collapsed and inflation topped 40%. Protests have since spread nationwide, reflecting broader anger at Iran’s theocracy. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei has long consolidated power and suppressed internal dissent, but the current unrest may be the deadliest of his over 36-year rule. Khamenei, 86, has not publicly named a successor; meanwhile, some protesters have expressed support for exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.  Pahlavi has reportedly met with the Trump administration, which imposed 25% tariffs on Iran’s trading partners Monday. Yesterday, President Donald Trump canceled talks with Iranian officials and urged civilians to continue protesting.

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Iran signals plans for fast trials and executions while promising retaliation against US, Israel

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian officials signaled Wednesday that fast trials and executions lay ahead for suspects detained in nationwide protests, while the Islamic Republic promised retaliation if the U.S. or Israel intervenes in the domestic unrest.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-khamenei-trial-execution-trump-6004d94d5a1685b7b9096ea7a04dac6f?

Iran protests

An Iranian protester detained Thursday may be executed today, according to the US State Department and a family member, in a move that would draw further global outrage over Tehran's deadly crackdown on government dissent. President Donald Trump cautioned Iran against executing protesters, saying the US would take "strong action" in response. He also encouraged protesters to keep demonstrating and said that "help is on its way." More than 2,400 protesters have been killed and at least 18,000 people have been arrested since the large-scale anti-regime demonstrations began last month, according to a US-based rights group.

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Iran closes its airspace for hours as tensions with US remain high The hours-long closure happened without explanation early Thursday. The move comes as nationwide protests challenging Iran’s theocracy appeared increasingly smothered, a week on from authorities escalating a bloody crackdown that activists say killed at least 2,615 people. Read more.

Why this matters: Iran previously shut its airspace during the 12-day war against Israel in June and when it exchanged fire with Israel during the Israel-Hamas war. However, there were no signs of current hostilities though the closure immediately rippled through global aviation.   Trump made a series of vague statements Wednesday that left unclear what American action, if any, would take place against Iran. In comments to reporters, Trump said he had been told that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, without providing many details. The shift comes a day after Trump told protesters in Iran that “help is on the way” and that his administration would “act accordingly” to respond to the Islamic Republic’s deadly crackdown. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also sought to tone down the rhetoric, urging the U.S. to find a solution through negotiation.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Analysis: Scale of protests and violence in Iran echoes chaos around its 1979 Islamic Revolution   Free Starlink access for Iran seen as game changer for demonstrators getting their message out   A timeline of how the protests in Iran unfolded and grew

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Analysis: Scale of protests and violence in Iran echoes chaos around its 1979 Islamic Revolution  In just a few days, nationwide protests challenging Iran’s theocracy exploded into a crackdown and bloodshed that blew past reported casualty figures of decades of previous demonstrations. This new level of mayhem resembles the chaotic days surrounding the birth of the Islamic Republic in 1979. And that poses perhaps the greatest risk to Iran’s theocracy in the time since. It now faces a population increasingly willing to disobey a government long willing to use violence to suppress dissent. Read more.

Key points: In the run-up to the revolution, Iranians witnessed street battles and targeted attacks. Each fresh mourning for slain protesters expanded into a cycle of demonstrations. That ultimately ballooned to millions on the streets and pushed the monarch to flee.    Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran and soon seized all levers of power. The execution of thousands followed. So did an eight-year war launched by Iraq and the imposition of the mandatory hijab, or headscarf, for women.    It remains unclear why exactly the recent bloodshed has been so much greater than previous rounds of unrest. One factor may be that the protests touched on economic issues, and another may be the size and scope of the protests themselves.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ A timeline of how the protests in Iran unfolded and grew Prayer leader in Iran and the faithful call for executions over protests, a red line for Trump Iran’s nationwide protests feel smothered after a weeklong crackdown and internet outage  Khomeini launched a revolution from a sleepy French village

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Iran plans permanent break from global internet, say activists

Iran is planning to permanently break from the global internet, only allowing individuals vetted by the regime to connect online, according to Iranian digital rights activists.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/17/iran-plans-permanent-break-from-global-internet-say-activists?

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Iranian prosecutor denies Trump’s claim 800 prisoners were spared execution

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s top prosecutor on Friday called U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he halted the hangings of 800 detained protesters there “completely false.” Meanwhile, the overall death toll from a bloody crackdown on nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 5,032, activists said.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-crackdown-death-toll-acb1968a973f19be217ea28b4a7adb0b?

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Iran unveils mural warning of retaliation if US conducts a military strike

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian authorities unveiled a new mural on a giant billboard in a central Tehran square on Sunday with a direct warning to the United States to not attempt a military strike on the country, as U.S. warships head to the region.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-mural-protests-military-4b2ceb8aff9dc448036341e86023b6c8?

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Iranian Crackdown Continues

Iranian authorities have arrested multiple doctors and medical workers accused of treating wounded anti-government protesters, according to human rights groups. The arrests come amid a sweeping government crackdown on nationwide unrest that activists say has killed thousands. Doctors and nurses have reported large numbers of patients with gunshot wounds and say security forces have removed some injured protesters from emergency wards. The EU yesterday designated Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, and a US-based activist agency says it has verified more than 6,000 deaths, with over 17,000 additional cases under investigation. The Iranian government acknowledged over 3,000 dead. The news comes as Israeli and Saudi defense and intelligence officials met in Washington to discuss options on Iran—Israeli representatives were expected to share Iran-related intelligence, while Saudi officials were expected to press to avoid a wider war and urge de-escalation. The US has expanded its military presence in the region, but it remains unclear whether it will use force.

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Cut off from most communication, Iranian protesters share rare stories of determination and dissent

Six Iranians spoke to The Associated Press about the protests in Iran, describing a renewed sense of hope even with a bloody crackdown on demonstrators. The Iranians said they demonstrated and witnessed state violence. Protests erupt in Iran every few years, but several said this time felt different, with unprecedented momentum and a diverse crowd. Officials and state media repeatedly refer to demonstrators as “terrorists.” Read more.

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Satellite photos show activity at Iran nuclear sites as tensions rise over protest crackdown How Iran’s Revolutionary Guard became a powerful force within the country’s theocracy

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She filmed Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters. Now she is afraid to go outside

A 37-year-old beautician's videos and messages provided a raw account of the exuberance that protesters in Iran felt taking to the streets last month — and the shock that has paralyzed many after the bloodiest crackdown ever inflicted by the Islamic Republic. The beautician expressed despair that change can happen and a sense of abandonment by the world. Read more.

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Iran sentences Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi to 7 more years in prison Trump turns to US military leaders for diplomatic efforts on Iran and Ukraine Israel says Netanyahu will meet with Trump on Wednesday about Iran talks

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Iran commemorates 1979 revolution as nation is squeezed by anger over crackdown and tensions with US

Iran marked the 47th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution on Wednesday as the country’s theocracy remains under pressure, both from U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested sending another aircraft carrier group to the Middle East, and a public angrily denouncing Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. Read more.

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Iran Closes Oil Port

Iran announced yesterday it is temporarily and partially closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil passes. The announcement came as the US and Iran held their second round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva, which ended without a date scheduled for further talks.  Iranian officials reportedly signaled they’re willing to pause uranium enrichment for up to three years and move some of their stockpile offshore (most of Iran’s uranium stockpile is believed to be buried under rubble after strikes by the US and Israel last year). In exchange, Iran is seeking sanctions relief and access to $6B in blocked oil revenue. The negotiations ended after three and a half hours and took place against the backdrop of a US military buildup in the Middle East. Separately, the third round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations also began yesterday in Geneva, with Russia pressing for control of the Donbas region. The talks come a week before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s large-scale invasion.

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Oscar-nominated co-writer of ‘It Was Just an Accident’ released from Iranian prison

Mehdi Mahmoudian, the Oscar-nominated cowriter of “It Was Just an Accident,” has been released from an Iranian prison 17 days after his arrest, according to local media reports.

https://apnews.com/article/it-was-just-an-accident-iranian-writer-18a864bbd16a61dee430cdf1bae0d652?

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Iranians grieve defiantly for thousands killed in last month’s crackdown

Iranians across the country are still reeling with shock, grief and fear after massive nationwide protests were crushed by the deadliest crackdown ever seen under the rule of the 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Thousands were killed and tens of thousands are believed to have been arrested. But a vein of defiance persists. Read more.

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WATCH: Trump warns 'bad things will happen' if Iran doesn't make a deal What to know as US moves military assets to Mideast and Iran nuclear talks have yet to reach a deal

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Tensions between son of Iran’s last shah and Kurdish dissidents show cracks in Iranian opposition

KOYA, Iraq (AP) — Public tensions have surfaced between the exiled son of Iran’s last shah and a coalition of Kurdish Iran dissident groups in recent days.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-iraq-kurds-pahlavi-6beae57e9fdc3546a61ec8f1432eef4b?

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The Iranian Revolution

The revolt that still shapes global politics today. The Iranian Revolution was a popular uprising that overthrew Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1979, ending millennia of monarchical rule in Iran. Mass protests, strikes, and demonstrations swept the country in 1978, culminating in the Shah's flight from Iran in January 1979.   Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a cleric who led resistance against the Shah's rule from exile, returned to Iran and quickly consolidated power. Within months, Iranians voted to establish an Islamic Republic, replacing the monarchy with a theocratic system of government based on Muslim clerical rule.   The Shah was unpopular for his harsh authoritarian rule and rapid Westernization, which many Iranians saw as a betrayal of their culture and religion. Resentment had been growing for decades—particularly since a 1953 CIA-backed coup removed Iran's democratically elected prime minister and restored the Shah's absolute power.    The revolution established the world's first modern Islamic theocracy and intensified the rivalry between Shia Iran and Sunni Arab states, leading to proxy conflicts in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen that continue today. It also permanently severed relations with the United States, most notably during the 1979 hostage crisis. ... Read what else we learned about the Iranian Revolution here.   Also, for more context on the current conflict between the US and Iran, check out ...  > Watch a 2025 documentary on how the rivalry between Iran and Israel has remade the Middle East. (Watch) > Hear how the US and Iran went from close allies to adversaries after the 1979 revolution. (Listen) > Learn about "velayat-e faqih," the religious doctrine that has governed Iran since the revolution. (Read) > Read about Iran's Revolutionary Guard—one of the most powerful forces in the Middle East. (Explore)