Iran protests: Rights group says 29 killed and more than 1,200 arrested

At least 29 people have been killed and more than 1,200 arrested during a fresh wave of unrest in Iran, a U.S.-based rights organisation says.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said security forces responded violently to protests over a nine-day period, amid mounting economic and political tensions.

Protests spread nationwide

According to HRANA, demonstrations and strikes have been recorded in at least 257 locations, including 88 cities across 27 provinces, indicating widespread dissatisfaction beyond the capital, Tehran.

The group said the scale of the unrest suggested that grievances were shared across different regions and social groups.

Economic hardship and political anger

While the immediate triggers for the latest protests remain unclear, Iran has experienced repeated waves of anti-government demonstrations in recent years.

These have often been driven by severe economic hardship, worsened by international sanctions and high inflation, alongside anger over restrictions on civil liberties and the enforcement of religious rules.

Iranian authorities have historically responded to such unrest with force, deploying the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij paramilitary units to suppress protests.

• Iran faces mounting unrest as economic collapse deepens and U.S., Israel pressure grows
• Iran calls Trump’s protest warning reckless as deaths reported nationwide
• Khamenei vows crackdown as Iran unrest grows and arrests surge

Limits on information

HRANA warned that the reported figures were likely to be incomplete, citing widespread internet disruptions and restrictions on access to independent information.

It said these measures had made it difficult to verify events on the ground, raising fears that the true number of deaths and arrests could be significantly higher.

Tags

Iran Iran protests HRANA report Iran crackdown human rights Middle East news