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Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it is “shocked” by what it described as violent actions by Iran’s authorities against their own people, calling on Tehran to end the violence against citizens and respect their rights. The message, posted on X, adds to the growing wave of European statements demanding restraint and accountability as the crackdown intensifies.
More than 170 Iranian artistic and cultural figures issued a statement urging the U.S. government and President Donald Trump to remain committed to promises of support for the Iranian people, saying they expect the “most powerful politician in the world” to stand with Iran’s nation. The statement also called on Trump to meet “as soon as possible” with Prince Reza Pahlavi , described as the leader of the national uprising, to “hear the real voice” of Iranians, with signatories reportedly including Ebrahim Hamedi, Bardia Kiaars, Arjang Amirfazli, Ronak Younesi, Shahram Azar, Mahnaz Afshar, Kaveh Yaghmaei, Mary Apick, and Leila Forouhar.
Iranian filmmaker and former political prisoner Jafar Panahi wrote on Instagram that the Islamic Republic “continues to kill” Iranians, saying lives are being taken in the streets every day and that this is not a new or temporary crisis but one that has persisted for years. Panahi argued that a system rooted in violence and repression is not reformable through negotiation, saying history makes that clear, and warned that silence and indifference only enable the continuation of these crimes—adding that standing with the Iranian people means not looking away from these realities.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Italy has summoned the Islamic Republic’s ambassador in Rome, signaling another escalation of European diplomatic pressure as governments respond to Iran’s ongoing crackdown and the broader security fallout.
Iranians living in Genoa, Italy, held a protest on Tuesday, 23 Dey 1404 (January 13, 2026), gathering in Piazza De Ferrari to condemn what they described as the Islamic Republic’s killing of Iranian citizens. Participants also burned images of Ali Khamenei and collectively sang the patriotic anthem “Iran Javan,” underscoring the growing intensity of diaspora demonstrations in Europe alongside unrest inside Iran.
A group of Iranians living in Germany gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Berlin as part of continuing diaspora demonstrations backing Iran’s national revolution and condemning the Islamic Republic’s crackdown and reported killings of protesters. The rally underscores sustained efforts by overseas Iranians to press Western governments—particularly Washington—for firmer, practical support amid escalating repression inside Iran.
The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee addressed Iranians in a message accusing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of mass killing, mismanaging the economy, and squandering national resources, arguing that the rial has become “the weakest currency in the world.” The committee urged people in Iran to “make regime change inevitable,” in a sharply worded intervention that frames Tehran’s crisis as a question of political legitimacy and accountability.
An eyewitness account from Abadan says that on 18–19 Dey 1404 (January 8–9, 2026), security forces encircled people in the Amiri and Ahmadabad areas while drones flew overhead, and protesters were targeted with live fire. The same witness reported that security personnel effectively blocked medical staff from accessing Abadan’s hospital, with the facility largely under their control. The account also claims that heavy vehicle presence in the city disrupted security-force movement and communications, prompting the use of drones, while residents used cars to limit the ability of forces to move and transport equipment.
Information received by Iran International alleges that Ahmad Khosravani, a 21-year-old Tehran-based basketball player and a student at Sharif University of Technology, was killed on Thursday, 18 Dey 1404 (January 8, 2026), during Iran’s national uprising after what the outlet described as direct fire by Islamic Republic security forces. Khosravani had reportedly won Tehran’s 3x3 basketball competition with the Farzan Shemiran team and was named the top player of the Tehran league in 1404, while his father is described as a wounded veteran of the Iran–Iraq war.
Information received by Iran International alleges plainclothes forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps raided the homes of people killed in the protests—and neighboring apartments—in parts of east Tehran, with sources claiming the attackers fired at walls, hurled insults at family members, and even emptied household refrigerators. The same accounts say families were told they could only collect bodies at dawn and were required to conduct individual burials before 4:00 a.m., while security officials allegedly demanded payments of 250 million tomans per bullet fired—an accusation that, if confirmed, would point to coercive tactics aimed at intimidating bereaved families and suppressing public mourning.
U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social urging “Iranian patriots” to continue protesting and “take control” of their institutions, calling on them to record the names of those responsible for killings and repression and warning they will “pay a heavy price.” Trump also said he has canceled all meetings with Islamic Republic officials until what he called the “senseless killing” of protesters stops, adding that “help is on the way” and ending with the slogan: “Make Iran great again.”
A group of independent UN human rights experts condemned what they described as widespread rights violations during Iran’s nationwide protests, urging Iranian authorities to immediately protect demonstrators, break the cycle of violence, and enable genuine dialogue. In a statement issued Tuesday, 23 Dey 1404 (January 13, 2026) in Geneva, the experts said the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters, arbitrary arrests—including of children—and attacks on medical facilities constitute “clear violations” of international human rights law.