Live - Protest deaths top 36,500 as US fleet nears and Khamenei goes underground

Summary

Documents reviewed by Iran International’s Editorial Board put the Jan. 8-9 crackdown death toll at more than 36,500, in what it described as the deadliest two-day protest massacre in history.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has moved into a special underground shelter in Tehran after senior military and security officials assessed an increased risk of a potential US attack, two sources close to the government told Iran International.
Iranians are set to hold gatherings and marches on Saturday and Sunday across multiple countries, from Australia and Canada to Europe and the United States, in support of protests inside the country.
Iran's exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi announced he is ready to help bring about the removal of the Islamic Republic and bring this process to an end, a process that he said will lead to a secular democracy in Iran, if free elections can be held.
Several airlines including Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, and Swiss have canceled their Saturday flights to the Middle East including Israel, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, according to flight information published on airport websites.
The UN Human Rights Council on Friday overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning what it described as an unprecedented violent crackdown by Iranian security forces on nationwide protests

Jan 25, 2026, 14:49 GMT

Witkoff says US, Israel aligned on next steps ‘critical’ to Middle East

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said a US delegation met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday to discuss progress on the second phase of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza as well as “broader regional issues.”

In a post on X Witkoff said the meeting included Jared Kushner, senior advisor Aryeh Lightstone and White House advisor Josh Gruenbaum.

"The discussion was constructive and positive, with both sides aligned on next steps and the importance of continued cooperation on all matters critical to the region," he said.

Jan 25, 2026, 14:40 GMT

UAE, Jordan, UK would back US military in any attack on Iran - report

The United Arab Emirates, Jordan and the United Kingdom would provide logistical and intelligence support to the US military in the event of an attack on Iran, Israel Hayom reported.

The Israeli daily said the three countries would support US operations with intelligence sharing and logistical assistance if Washington moved ahead with military action against Iran.

According to the report, the UAE, Jordan and Britain would also be expected to take part in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones targeting Israel, US bases or strategic facilities in the region, Israel Hayom said.

Jan 25, 2026, 14:34 GMT

ANALYSISIran still killing, torturing detainees after protests

Iranian authorities are still carrying out a chain of crimes linked to the protest crackdown, including extrajudicial killings, deaths under torture and the systematic mistreatment of detainees and their families, according to the executive editor of Iran International TV.

Asghar Ramezanpour said the violence has not ended with the suppression of mass demonstrations, warning that detainees face ongoing threats to their lives, denial of medical treatment and collective detention in unconventional holding facilities.

He also cited systematic harassment of families of those killed or detained, as well as continued efforts by authorities to block information from reaching the public.

Ramezanpour’s comments followed the release of a new report estimating that at least 36,500 people were killed in the crackdown on protests, with the deadliest violence concentrated on January 8 and 9, according to classified government documents seen by Iran International.

Jan 25, 2026, 12:47 GMT

Anti-US mural unveiled at Tehran square sends warning message

A large mural bearing an anti-US message was displayed on Sunday at Tehran’s Enghelab Square, featuring imagery of a warship and fighter jets set against a stylized American flag.

The mural carried the phrase, “He who sows the wind will reap the storm,” a warning commonly used in official Iranian messaging during periods of heightened tension with the United States.

Jan 25, 2026, 11:04 GMT

Iran protest crackdown killed more than 36,500, classified documents show

More than 36,500 Iranians were killed by security forces during a nationwide crackdown on protests on January 8 and 9, according to classified government documents and other evidence reviewed by Iran International’s Editorial Board.

The figure, if confirmed, would make the crackdown the deadliest two-day massacre of protesters on record.

Iran International reviewed newly obtained classified reports from Iran’s security agencies, along with field reports and accounts from medical staff, witnesses and families of victims. In a previous statement on January 13, the outlet had reported at least 12,000 deaths.

According to the documents, security forces confronted demonstrators in more than 400 cities and towns, with over 4,000 sites of clashes reported nationwide.

Iran International also reported evidence suggesting that some detainees and wounded protesters were killed without trial.

Images from morgues and hospitals reviewed by the outlet show bodies with gunshot wounds to the head bearing signs of hospitalization, including attached medical tubes and monitoring equipment.

Doctors and nurses who spoke on condition of anonymity said some wounded patients were shot while under medical care.

Interior Ministry documents seen by Iran International showed the death toll rising from at least 27,500 in reports to parliament on January 21 to more than 36,500 in subsequent intelligence reports to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Independent verification remains impossible due to security restrictions and communication limits.

Jan 25, 2026, 09:02 GMT

Internet connectivity in Iran remains disrupted 400 hours into the blackout

Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported on Sunday that Iran’s nationwide internet shutdown has continued for about 400 hours, leaving connectivity stuck near 1 percent of normal levels.

NetBlocks’ data showed access plunged around Jan. 9 and has stayed largely cut off since, indicating a sustained and deliberate restriction on online communications.

Jan 25, 2026, 08:10 GMT

'Injustice doesn't last,’ star footballer says about protest killings

Former Iran national football team captain Mehdi Mahdavikia said, “no injustice will last” and that the blood of the protesters would not go unanswered.

Mahdavikia posted an image showing a shocked woman standing over the bodies in the Kahrizak Forensic Center, saying, “The image speaks for itself. If someone’s heart does not ache, they have no honor and humanity.”

He urged people to imagine the pain of families searching for missing loved ones.

“Just put yourself in the place of parents who are searching for their beloved children. Curse the one who caused it,” Mahdavikia wrote, offering condolences to those mourning.

Jan 25, 2026, 07:45 GMT

Exiled queen mourns ‘wound on the soul of Iran’

Exiled Queen Farah Pahlavi issued a message mourning Iranians killed for freedom, urging solidarity with the victims.

In the statement, Pahlavi said the deaths had left “a profound wound on the soul of Iran” and called for the need “to embrace solidarity and humanity” more than ever.

She offered condolences to bereaved families and said she shared their grief.

"We shall continue to keep the memory of all the martyrs of freedom for Iran alive by upholding truth, justice and human dignity. Light will prevail over darkness,” she wrote.

Jan 25, 2026, 07:10 GMT

Retired Iranian army pilot shot dead during protests in Tehran

A retired Iranian army pilot was shot dead during protests in Tehran earlier this month, according to information shared with Iran International.

Mohammad Khan-Mohammadi, a 67-year-old former pilot and a wounded veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, was struck by two bullets on January 9 in Kaj Square in the Saadat Abad neighborhood in northwestern Tehran.

Jan 24, 2026, 21:38 GMT

Emory University sacks daughter of Iran’s top security official Larijani

Emory University has dismissed Fatemeh Ardeshir Larijani, the daughter of the US-sanctioned security chief of the Islamic Republic, the university confirmed to Iran International on Saturday, following growing calls for her removal.

"A physician who is the daughter of a senior Iranian government official is no longer an employee of Emory," the university’s Winship Cancer Institute, where Larijani worked, said in response to Iran International’s inquiry.

"Because this is a personnel matter, we are unable to provide additional information," the university said.

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