Nationwide anti-Islamic regime protests in Iran have entered their ninth day as reports indicate that at least 35 people have been killed, even as President Donald Trump continues to warn that Tehran will face severe consequences if it attacks demonstrators.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that the dead include 29 protesters, four children, and two members of Iran’s security forces.
More than 1,200 people have reportedly been detained across the country.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump reiterated his warning to Iranian authorities:
“If (Iran) starts killing people, like they have in the past, I think they’re gonna get hit very hard by the United States.”
The anti-government demonstrations, which began over economic grievances, have now spread into at least 250 locations across 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to the organization.
One of the most symbolic flashpoints occurred Tuesday at Tehran’s historic Grand Bazaar, where video footage showed regime security forces dispersing protesters with tear gas.
WATCH:
In the heart of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar today. pic.twitter.com/AHYatDU4Vv
— Amit Segal (@AmitSegal) January 6, 2026
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights has documented numerous arrests, including a significant number involving Iranian Kurds, a group long persecuted by the regime.
Iranian state media claims that about 250 police officers and 45 Basij militia members have been injured during the unrest.
Despite the Iranian rial collapsing to a record low on Tuesday, AFP reports that daily life in Tehran has continued largely unchanged, with shops remaining open, though armed riot police have been stationed throughout the city.
Over the weekend, Iran launched missile and air defense exercises, with air defense fire heard in multiple cities, including Tehran and Shiraz, according to Iran International English.
The drills run counter to Trump’s warning last week during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when the president said he would support additional Israeli military strikes if Tehran continues ballistic missile development.
“The missiles, yes. The nuclear, fast,” Trump said.
“One would be yes, absolutely, the other was, we’ll do it immediately.”
Meanwhile, the State Department’s Farsi-language X account posted a series of messages directed at the Iranian regime, including one featuring an image of Trump alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, accompanied by the warning in Farsi: “Don’t play with President Trump.”
The account also condemned what it called a “brutal attack” on a hospital in Ilam, where activists said wounded protesters sought treatment.
“The raid on wards, the beating of medical staff, and the assault on the injured with tear gas and live ammunition is a blatant crime against humanity,” the post stated.
“Hospitals are not battlefields.
“These actions by the Islamic Republic regime constitute a flagrant violation of international laws and demonstrate a regime that treats human lives with complete disregard.”
حمله وحشیانه رژیم جمهوری اسلامی به بیمارستانی در ایلام یک جنایت است. یورش به بخشها، ضرب و شتم کادر پزشکی و حمله به مجروحان با گاز اشکآور و گلوله جنگی، جنایتی آشکار علیه بشریت است. بیمارستانها میدان نبرد نیستند. این اقدامات رژیم جمهوری اسلامی نقض فاحش قوانین بینالمللی است و… pic.twitter.com/GXgQfwIMf4
— USAbehFarsi (@USABehFarsi) January 5, 2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has attempted to separate initial economic demonstrations from the broader anti-regime movement now sweeping the country.
He acknowledged last week that early protest participants had “legitimate demands” as the rial has lost more than 56 percent of its value in six months, driving food prices up 72 percent year-over-year, according to the Times of Israel.
In response, the regime announced a monthly stipend of roughly $7 per person to be used at select grocery stores, a move critics say reflects the deepening economic crisis.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei signaled that authorities will continue to confront demonstrators forcefully, declaring that “rioters must be put in their place” and insisting there is “no point in talking with a rioter.”
The protests now represent one of the most widespread challenges to the regime in recent years, unfolding under the shadow of an explicit warning from the White House that a violent crackdown will carry consequences.
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