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As the authorities step up repression during Iran’s national uprising, field reports and citizen messages describe conditions resembling martial law in parts of the country—an emergency state in which civilian governance is effectively handed over to military forces, typically accompanied by expanded security controls and tighter restrictions on movement and public assembly.
In a statement dated 24 Dey 1404 (January 14, 2026), around 450 Iranian feminists warned of the “killing of protesters” and urged immediate international action, saying Iran’s internet, mobile, and communications shutdowns are not “technical disruptions” but a deliberate tool to block public oversight and independent reporting while violent repression escalates. The signatories said the current protests—sparked by severe economic conditions and broader opposition to the system’s “totalitarianism”—continue the same demands voiced in the “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising and the 2017 and 2019 protest waves, explicitly calling for fundamental political change. They also cautioned against the erasure of protesters’ diverse voices and rejected any organized effort—especially violent—to impose a single, uniform narrative for Iran’s future.
Paolo Maldini, the Italian football icon and former captain of Italy and AC Milan, reacted to Iran’s national uprising by resharing an Instagram post highlighting the large crowds in the streets after Prince Reza Pahlavi’s call for rallies, adding: “All eyes on Iran.”
In response to Iran International’s call for evidence on the killing of protesters, a citizen message said security forces have pressured families to register the dead as “Basij” members and demanded payments of up to 2 billion tomans in exchange for releasing the bodies. Iran International said the account was reread anonymously to protect the source’s safety.
Iran International cited informed sources saying plainclothes forces and IRGC-linked units raided the homes of families of those killed in Iran’s national uprising—along with neighboring homes—in parts of eastern Tehran on Wednesday, 24 Dey (January 14, 2026). Sources alleged the raiders fired at walls, insulted and humiliated family members, and looted property, including emptying refrigerators. The same sources said authorities told families bodies would only be handed over in the first hours before dawn, insisting burials be conducted individually and completed by 4 a.m., while threatening mass burials if families refused. Separately, sources claimed security officials demanded families pay 250 million tomans per bullet allegedly fired at the deceased protesters.
Saeed Azari, former CEO of Zob Ahan FC, wrote that the genocides of historical dictators “pale” in comparison to those who “massacred Iran’s children,” reacting to what he described as the killing of 12,000 Iranian protesters by the Islamic Republic’s security forces during the national uprising. Azari also accused authorities of branding protesters as “rioters,” then labeling “rioters” as “terrorists” to manufacture a pretext for lethal repression, and warned those who issued the orders that “severe punishment” awaits them.
As the Iranian authorities intensify their suppression of the national uprising, field reports and citizen messages indicate conditions resembling martial law in parts of the country. Martial law refers to an emergency situation in which civilian administration is effectively handed over to military forces, typically accompanied by expanded security controls and restrictions on public movement.
Germany’s Foreign Office human rights directorate said the Iranian regime’s widespread violence in response to nationwide protests “must not go without consequences,” urging the European Union to swiftly move forward with sanctions against individuals responsible for the crackdown, according to Iran International reporter Ahmad Samadi.
Dimona Mayor Benny Biton said the city has opened its public bomb shelters as a precautionary step, stressing that the move is meant to boost residents’ sense of security rather than respond to a specific warning, and that there is no change in Home Front Command instructions.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a social media post that U.S. President Donald Trump should “know where to turn to stop the bloodshed,” framing the violence in Iran as part of a broader regional escalation and accusing Israel of trying to pull Washington into conflict. The remark comes as tensions and military signaling across the Gulf continue to intensify.
Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Tallinn stands with the Iranian people “in their fight for freedom and dignity,” adding that Estonia is working to help ensure the European Union designates the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence wrote on X that he appreciates Donald Trump’s statements about helping the Iranian people, adding that it is “more than Obama would say” during Iran’s 2009 Green Movement protests. Pence said Washington is standing with the “brave people of Iran,” as international scrutiny over Tehran’s crackdown continues to intensify.