Iranian state television acknowledged on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic has lost “many martyrs” in the ongoing anti-government protests that have swept the country, a report said.
According to an activist group, this development comes because at least 2,000 people have been killed in the demonstrations. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said 1,847 of the dead were protesters and 135 were members of Iran’s security forces. Other reports say the death toll is over 3,000, while the actual number is likely even higher.
A news anchor on Iranian state television read a statement claiming that “armed and terrorist groups” were causing the country to “present many martyrs to God,” The Associated Press reported. Iranian state TV said officials will hold a funeral on Wednesday for the “martyrs and security defenders” killed in the protests.
The Iranian regime has tried to crack down on the protests, which began in late December, with shopkeepers and bazaar traders demonstrating against rising inflation and the collapse of the rial. The unrest soon spread to universities and provincial towns, where young men clashed with security forces.
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Members of the Iranian police attend a pro-government rally in Tehran, Iran, on Monday, January 12, 2026. (Stringer/WANA/Reuters)
“The killing of peaceful protesters must stop, and labeling protesters as ‘terrorists’ to justify violence against them is unacceptable,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement on Tuesday.
The US Virtual Embassy Iran issued an alert earlier today warning US citizens still in the country to leave immediately.
President Donald Trump later urged the Iranian people to “take over” the country’s institutions, saying he has canceled all meetings with the Iranian regime until the crackdown on the unrest ends.
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Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, on Friday, January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
Trump made the announcement on social media, vowing that those responsible for killing anti-regime protesters “will pay a heavy price.” Iran had previously claimed it had been in contact with US officials during the protests.
“Iranian patriots, KEEP PROTESTER – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Save the names of the murderers and abusers. They will pay a high price.’
Iranian demonstrators gather in a street during a protest against the collapse of the currency’s value, in Tehran, Iran, on January 8, 2026. (Stringer/WANA/Reuters)
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“I have canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOP. HELP IS on the way,” he added.
