Published on: Jan 19, 2026 8:57:05 AM IST
Protesters hold placards and Iran pre-1979 Revolution flags as they demonstrate against Iran’s crackdown on protesters, outside Iran’s embassy in central London.
Iran Protests Live Updates: Iran is under intense international scrutiny after reports that at least 16,900 people have been killed in a weeks-long crackdown on nationwide protests, the deadliest unrest since the 1979 Islamic revolution. The protests, which began last month over economic grievances and evolved into calls for an end to clerical rule, have largely subsided on the streets following a violent security response, mass arrests and prolonged internet shutdowns.
Tensions with Washington have escalated in parallel. US President Donald Trump has warned of possible intervention if killings or executions of detained protesters continue, while Iran has accused the United States and Israel of fomenting unrest.
On Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that any US strike would draw a “harsh and regrettable” response, as authorities signalled that executions linked to the protests may still go ahead.
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Tensions with Washington have escalated in parallel. US President Donald Trump has warned of possible intervention if killings or executions of detained protesters continue, while Iran has accused the United States and Israel of fomenting unrest.
On Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that any US strike would draw a “harsh and regrettable” response, as authorities signalled that executions linked to the protests may still go ahead.
Follow all the updates here:
Jan 19, 2026 8:40:03 AM IST
Iran protests Live: Death toll estimate jumps to 16,900
A new Sunday Times report citing doctors on the ground has claimed that at least 16,900 people have been killed during Iran’s crackdown on weeks of nationwide protests, with hundreds of thousands more injured. The estimate, significantly higher than figures previously cited by rights groups, would make the unrest the deadliest episode of internal violence in the country in decades.
The report says most of those killed were under the age of 30 and that security forces used military-grade weapons, with doctors recording gunshot and shrapnel wounds to the head, neck and chest. Hospitals have also reported thousands of eye injuries and deaths linked to shortages of blood amid the violence.
The figures far exceed earlier tallies by activist organisations such as the Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has verified several thousand deaths and more than 24,000 arrests. Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll, though Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has acknowledged that the unrest left “several thousand” people dead, blaming foreign-backed “rioters” for the violence.