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Qatar’s prime minister, in a phone call with a senior Islamic Republic official, said Doha supports all efforts aimed at reducing tensions. The message reinforces Qatar’s long-standing role as a regional mediator as diplomatic activity intensifies amid rising security risks and competing international pressure campaigns around Iran.
CBS News reported—citing two sources, including one inside Iran—that activist groups compiling casualty data from medical officials believe at least 12,000 people, and possibly as many as 20,000, have been killed in the protest crackdown, while stressing it has not been able to independently verify the figure amid Iran’s communications blackout. Other tallies cited by major outlets remain far lower, underscoring the scale of uncertainty as reliable information remains difficult to obtain.
Iranians living in Stockholm gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in the Swedish capital, calling on U.S. President Donald Trump to help the Iranian people and support protesters. The demonstration is part of a broader wave of diaspora mobilization across Europe seeking more tangible Western action as Iran’s unrest and crackdown continue.
A citizen message shared following a call by Iran International describes an intensified security crackdown on protesters and what the sender calls a suffocating atmosphere of intimidation—particularly targeting grieving families. The outlet said the account was re-narrated to protect the individual’s safety, underscoring the risks faced by people attempting to document conditions on the ground amid the ongoing unrest.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on Iran’s authorities to end what he described as “violent repression,” adding to mounting international pressure for restraint, accountability, and the restoration of basic rights as unrest continues.
Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed that the reported collection of satellite dishes in parts of Tehran was likely carried out by individuals aiming to “discredit revolutionary institutions.” The statement appears to distance official bodies from the seizures as scrutiny grows over enforcement actions tied to information control amid the ongoing unrest.
Reuters, citing a European official, reported that the European External Action Service (the EU’s foreign policy arm) has summoned the Islamic Republic’s ambassador to the EU—an additional step in the bloc’s escalating diplomatic response as Brussels weighs further measures over the crackdown in Iran.
Iranians in The Hague, the Netherlands, gathered outside the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday, 23 Dey 1404 (January 13, 2026), holding images of the Pahlavi family and the lion-and-sun flag while chanting slogans against the Islamic Republic. The protest reflects sustained diaspora efforts to press Washington for firmer support as Iran’s nationwide unrest and crackdown continue.
Internet-monitoring group NetBlocks said Iran has now been offline for 120 hours, warning that despite some phone calls beginning to connect, there is still no secure way for people to communicate as the broader nationwide digital blackout remains in place.
Austria’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Islamic Republic’s ambassador in Vienna to protest the crackdown on demonstrators in Iran, adding to the expanding wave of European diplomatic actions condemning violence against protesters.
Darya Safai, an Iranian-born member of Belgium’s parliament, said that after what she described as the killing of thousands of innocent Iranians by the authorities, U.S. President Donald Trump will not allow the Islamic Republic to “play with his reputation” and will “certainly” take action. Her remarks add to a widening chorus of diaspora-linked political voices urging stronger U.S. steps as international pressure builds over the crackdown.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Iran’s “disproportionate and ruthless” repression indicates the regime is afraid of its own population, speaking at a joint press conference with Germany’s defense minister in Berlin. Kallas added that the European Union has additional sanctions under review, signaling continued momentum in Brussels toward tighter measures as the crackdown intensifies.