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Human-rights lawyer Sina Yousefi said on Monday, 29 Dey 1404, that the security atmosphere in Tabriz has intensified, with forces setting up checkpoints across many main streets, searching vehicles, and inspecting passengers’ mobile phones—steps that suggest a shift toward tighter street-level control and pre-emptive surveillance amid ongoing unrest.
Esteghlal goalkeeping coach Behzad Gholampour told Tasnim that the Islamic Republic should build a statue of head coach Ricardo Sá Pinto as a “minimum” gesture of appreciation, praising him for staying in Iran despite recent turmoil and claiming foreign media has misled Europeans about security conditions. The remarks follow Sá Pinto’s own public comments portraying Iran as “safe,” a line that has drawn scrutiny given parallel reports about foreign staff seeking shelter or leaving Tehran.
IranWire says it has obtained the identities of five citizens killed by Islamic Republic security forces during the crackdown on January (Dey 1404) protests in Arak : Babak Jamali (father of two, Radman and Nikan), Esmail Ganj-Goli (laborer), Farzaneh Tavakoli , Arman Haji-Yousefi , and Meysam Saberi (auto body repair worker, father of a 5-year-old). IranWire reports eyewitness accounts alleging Saberi was first shot in the leg and then run over by a water-cannon vehicle, while the others were shot with live ammunition—claims that remain difficult to independently verify.
IranWire reports that a Telegram channel attributed to Ali Khamenei shared a page from the latest issue of Khat-e Hezbollah , republishing excerpts from speeches by Khamenei and Ruhollah Khomeini. The page repeats a line attributed to Khamenei: “The God of year 60 is the same God as this year” —language widely read as invoking the Islamic Republic’s early-decade repression narrative to frame the current unrest.
IranWire reports that Rustam Mobarakabadi was killed by gunfire from security forces during Iran’s nationwide protests in the city of Mobarakeh , in Isfahan province . Further details—such as the exact date, circumstances, and any official response—have not been independently confirmed based on the information provided.
A report says Alireza Salmani (27) was shot dead during protests in Andisheh township (Phase 1) on Thursday 18 Dey 1404 (Jan. 8, 2026) . A source close to the family claims he was chanting with friends when security forces opened fire from an unclear position and four live rounds hit him. The account says friends dragged him back home while he was still able to speak—asking his mother for water and saying he was hungry—before he suddenly began bleeding heavily from his nose and mouth and died. This is a witness-style narrative and has not been independently verified.
Esteghlal head coach Ricardo Sá Pinto told reporters after the Tractor match on 28 Dey 1404 (Jan. 18, 2026) that he is not willing to leave Iran, saying “as far as I know, everyone has security,” and arguing Europeans are seeing only foreign-media images and should be told Iran is safe. The comments come days after he said he had gone to Portugal’s embassy in Tehran because he had been without internet and phone signal for days, while noting some foreign players and staff left because they did not feel safe.
Reports indicate that some journalists in Iran have received death threats , adding to concerns about a widening intimidation campaign as authorities and affiliated actors seek to suppress coverage and deter reporting. While details vary and specific cases require verification, the pattern—if confirmed—signals escalating pressure on the media ecosystem, increased self-censorship, and higher personal-security risk for reporters, editors, and their families.
A report circulating claims IRGC forces opened sustained automatic fire on people in Moaliabad, Shiraz , describing a scene so violent that, beyond human casualties, dead cats’ bodies were seen scattered around the area. This is an extreme allegation and cannot be independently verified from the report alone, but it underscores the portrayal of an indiscriminate, high-intensity crackdown in residential streets.
A report circulating claims that Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF/Hashd al-Shaabi) were present in Hamedan and that they deliberately targeted girls , with the account alleging extreme brutality, including abuse even toward lifeless bodies. These are very serious allegations and, based on the information provided, cannot be independently verified ; if substantiated, they would point to an escalation in violence and a potential international dimension to the crackdown.
Reports describe urban streets across Iran lined with mourning notices, while traces of violence remain in public view—bloody handprints and stains still visible on walls, kiosks, and along curbside gutters. The imagery points to a crackdown leaving both a human toll and a physical imprint that’s difficult to erase, reinforcing the sense of grief and simmering anger in neighborhoods even after the most intense confrontations have passed.
A graphic video circulating on social media shows gunfire sounds, people carrying wounded individuals across bloodied sidewalks, and frantic calls for a belt —apparently to use as a tourniquet. The clip has been variously captioned as Tehran on Thursday 18 Dey or Friday 19 Dey , while an update says the source may be a tweet claiming it was Saturday 20 Dey . Some users also suggest the location is Haft-Hoz (Narmak), below the Sarsabz intersection . The precise date and location remain unverified given the conflicting metadata, but the footage reflects the intensity of street-level violence and the improvisation of emergency care under fire.