Chicago – January 11, 2026
Mass protests against Iran’s ruling theocracy continue to sweep across the country, with huge crowds filling the streets of Tehran and the nation’s second-largest city well into Sunday. The demonstrations have now entered their third week, even as deadly clashes between protesters and security forces push the death toll higher.
Human rights groups report that at least 116 people have been killed since the unrest began, while more than 2,600 protesters have been arrested. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says the true number could be even higher due to a severe communications blackout imposed by Iranian authorities.
Iran has shut down much of the internet and cut phone services nationwide, making it extremely difficult for the outside world to track what is happening on the ground. Activists warn that this information blackout may give hardline security forces more freedom to violently suppress the demonstrations without international scrutiny.
Meanwhile, tensions between Iran and the United States have escalated sharply. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf declared that both the U.S. military and Israel would be considered “legitimate targets” if Washington carries out any military action against Iran. His remarks came as lawmakers stormed the parliamentary floor chanting “Death to America.”
President Donald Trump has warned that the United States is prepared to take action against Iran if peaceful protesters are attacked, further fueling fears of a wider regional conflict.
As protests continue to spread and the government tightens its grip on information, international concern is growing that Iran may be heading toward a violent crackdown, raising the risk of instability across the Middle East.
