What began as economic protests on December 28, 2025 has escalated into the most severe crisis the Islamic Republic has ever faced. Death toll estimates now range from the government's figure of 3,117 to over 30,000 according to Time Magazine, which reported that civilian hospitals registered 30,304 protest-related deaths on January 8-9 alone.

The crackdown on January 8, 2026 was so brutal that observers have described it as 'Iran's Babi Yar.' After Supreme Leader Khamenei ordered security forces to crush protests 'by any necessary means,' IRGC units, Basij militia, and imported Iraqi Shia fighters opened fire on demonstrators with live ammunition, including machine guns in some locations.

HRANA has verified 6,941 deaths with an additional 11,630 cases under investigation. The organization documented that at least 100 children were among those killed. Iran International reported that the death toll may exceed 36,500 when including those who died of injuries in subsequent days.

In a practice that has shocked the international community, authorities have demanded that families pay for the bullets used to kill their loved ones — between 700 million and 2.5 billion rials ($480-$1,720) — before releasing bodies. Many families have been forced to bury their dead in unmarked graves at night under security force supervision.

The near-total internet shutdown imposed on January 8 has enabled the destruction of evidence, with reports of authorities confiscating phones, deleting videos, and seizing medical records documenting gunshot wounds. The UN Fact-Finding Mission has warned that these actions may constitute crimes against humanity and has called for preservation of evidence for future prosecutions.