Public anger against inflation and unemployment in Iran has now turned violent on the streets. When the people suffering from economic distress came out with their demands, they had to face heavy repression. At present, the most talked about across the country are the deaths that have occurred during these widespread protests. The situation has become so critical that the number of deaths due to the action of security forces and clashes between protesters is continuously increasing, which has created an atmosphere of fear among the common citizens.
The death of dozens of protesters and arrest of more than 1200 people in just nine days raised concerns.
These latest protests, which broke out during the year 2025–2026, have taken a very serious turn. According to the information revealed so far, at least 25 to 31 people have lost their lives in these protests. The magnitude of the situation can be gauged from the fact that after the violence reached its peak, around 29 protesters are claimed to have been killed within just nine days. At the same time, to crush the movement, the security forces have launched a large-scale crackdown campaign, under which more than 1,200 people have been arrested and put in jail.
Many lives were lost due to direct firing and use of pellet guns by security forces in provinces like Loristan and Ilam.
The phase of violence started in the initial days of the protests. There were fierce clashes between security forces and protesters in several cities including Azna in Loristan province, Malekshahi in Ilam province and Kurdish-dominated areas. Reports suggest that at many places, in the name of crowd control, security forces used live fire (direct firing), pellet guns and rubber bullets without any hesitation. A large number of people were seriously injured in this action, some of whom died on the spot, while some died later during treatment in hospitals.
United Nations warns to stop bloodshed, demands immediate stop to arbitrary arrests and use of force
Now the international community has also shown strictness on the deteriorating human rights situation inside Iran. The United Nations and other global organizations have warned the Iranian government that the use of force should be immediately reduced to prevent further bloodshed in the country. It has been advised from international forums that the government should adopt the path of dialogue with the protesters instead of repression. Along with this, there is a growing demand that Iran should conduct an independent investigation into these violent incidents, make public the official and correct list of the dead and immediately stop the ongoing series of arbitrary arrests.