English
پارسی
IranWire reported that Ermia Fazli , a teenager under 18 , was killed on Thursday, 18 Dey 1404 (Jan. 8, 2026), during protests in Arak after being shot by Islamic Republic security forces. IranWire added that he was the son of the owner of a well-known Arak pastry shop called “Shideh.”
Messages sent to Iran International allege that security forces opened heavy fire on protesters across Isfahan, Najafabad, Kelishad, and Sooderjan on 18–19 Dey 1404 (Jan 8–9, 2026) , with one witness describing a deliberate “bloodbath” and claiming officers shot from the roof of a police station into crowds, killing many. A second account from Kashafi Garden in Isfahan says 10–15 Peugeot Pars cars arrived shortly before the shooting began on the night of 19 Dey, and about ten minutes later plainclothes forces , chanting “Ya Ali” and stomping in formation, opened fire on people—allegations that cannot be independently verified but add to a widening set of reports of lethal force in multiple cities.
Messages sent to Iran International from Karaj allege that security motorcycle units deliberately encircled and “trapped” peaceful gatherings on 18–19 Dey 1404 (Jan 8–9, 2026) before opening fire with live ammunition. One account says a large protest in Kianmehr on Friday night was met with gunfire and that forces later obstructed medical treatment , while another eyewitness claims authorities withdrew strategically toward Hosseinabad Bridge , funneling people into a dead-end and then shooting into the crowd. The same reports allege some hospitals refused to admit the injured, forcing residents to treat wounds at home, and that shots were fired not only at people but also toward homes and windows ; one message claims at least 80 Kianmehr residents were hit by bullets that evening—figures that remain unverified.
Messages sent to Iran International allege that, as security operations and de facto martial-law conditions continue in Iran’s Gilan province, security forces have directly intervened in medical facilities in Rasht—removing injured protesters from hospitals and emptying hospital blood banks, disrupting treatment and putting lives at risk. One doctor in Rasht reportedly said that after the wounded were taken to Poursina Hospital, security personnel entered and took the injured away, while the hospital’s blood reserves were transferred to the Army’s Vali-Asr Hospital. The same messages also claim families face pressure over retrieving bodies, and cite unverified casualty figures including roughly 700 killed in Rasht and additional deaths across the province (Loushan 7, Manjil 4, Rudbar 52, Rostamabad 5, Bandar-e Anzali at least 12), with local sources alleging a 7-year-old girl among those killed in Loushan. Witness accounts further allege some families have been forced to pay up to 700 million tomans to locate or recover bodies, while Basij and IRGC patrols with Kalashnikov-style rifles intensify after 6 p.m., reinforcing what residents describe as full martial-law conditions.
United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) says it has urged World Economic Forum (WEF) President Børge Brende to clarify whether Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was invited to Davos (Jan. 19–23, 2026) and to rescind any invitation, arguing that hosting Iranian officials would “whitewash” the regime’s recent crackdown and clashes with the meeting’s stated theme of “A Spirit of Dialogue.” Fox News reported that UANI sent the letter on January 15 and that Araqchi was subsequently added to the Davos program, which now lists a “Conversation with Abbas Araqchi” session on January 20. The push comes days after the Munich Security Conference said it had withdrawn an invitation to Araqchi in light of Iran’s protest crackdown.
Messages received by Iran International claim that some protesters detained in recent crackdowns have been subjected to torture, including being stripped and kept outdoors in freezing conditions, sprayed with cold water, and later injected with ampoules of unknown contents. A source cited by the outlet—said to be in contact with a detainee’s family—reported that the detainee messaged from inside prison that he and others were abused in custody and that unidentified injections were administered the following day. Similar allegations about “suspicious injections” in Iranian prisons have surfaced in past reporting, but the latest claims remain difficult to independently verify.
Several Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) channels distributed via the Badr and Arabsat satellite networks were reportedly disrupted for a few minutes on Sunday (28 Dey 1404), with regular programming replaced by footage from street protests and a message from Prince Reza Pahlavi. Iran International described the incident as a possible cyberattack affecting satellite-broadcast channels; Badr/Arabsat carries a wide slate of IRIB national and provincial stations (including Jam-e Jam, Amouzesh, Quran, Ofogh, Salamat, and multiple regional channels), amplifying the visibility of any brief takeover of the feed.
Cloudflare’s threat-intelligence arm (Cloudforce One) says it has observed Iranian authorities targeting Instagram accounts with tools designed for bulk extraction of follower lists and account activity—an effort that can enable network mapping of who follows whom during a sensitive security period. In an apparent response, reporting and researcher observations suggest Meta has begun hiding the Followers/Following lists for accounts it identifies as located in Iran, showing “No users found,” a move seen as an attempt to reduce exposure of social graphs while connectivity remains heavily restricted.
Images circulating from Borujerd in Lorestan province appear to show a heightened security posture, with armed forces carrying military-grade weapons and equipment deployed across city streets. The footage is claimed to date to Saturday, January 17 (27 Dey), suggesting authorities are reinforcing a visible deterrence presence amid ongoing unrest and tighter controls in provincial centers.
A relative of detained protester Erfan Soltani, Somayeh Melkian, said on 28 Dey 1404 (January 18, 2026) that he is alive and has been able to meet his family, after earlier concerns over his fate. Soltani, 26, was reportedly arrested at his home in Fardis, Karaj, on 18 Dey 1404 (January 8, 2026), and Iran’s judiciary says he has been formally charged with “assembly and collusion against internal security” and “propaganda against the system.” The judiciary’s media center has denied reports that a death sentence has been issued for him, even as his family previously told human-rights organizations they had been informed the death حکم was “issued and final” and set for execution on Wednesday, 24 Dey.
Iranian residents in Armenia were stopped from holding a planned protest march in Yerevan on January 17 (27 Dey), after gathering outside Iran’s embassy and seeking to march toward the Blue Mosque; police formed a cordon and detained seven participants on administrative grounds after some tried to push through, according to Armenia’s Interior Ministry as cited by local reporting. Organizers said they had municipal authorization, but reports indicate the permit was later revoked, leaving the march classified as unauthorized. The incident comes days after Iran’s ambassador to Armenia, Khalil Shirgholami, warned that Tehran is forming the impression Armenia is becoming a “hub” for hostile forces—remarks Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan rejected while stressing that since 2018, no public gathering has been banned in Armenia, even as authorities say they will ensure embassies can function normally.
Parsa Madanchiān, described by activists as one of those killed during Iran’s Dey 1404 uprising, was reportedly shot dead by government forces with direct fire on 18 Dey 1404 (January 8, 2026) in Tehran’s Sadeghieh area; accounts say he had not yet turned 18, adding to growing documentation by campaigners and rights advocates of minors and young people among the protest fatalities.