Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for national unity in a televised address on January 9, 2026 while accusing anti-government protesters of acting as mercenaries for the United States and other foreign powers. Khamenei warned that authorities would crack down on those attacking public property and stated that President Donald Trump had hands stained with the blood of Iranians. The speech framed the demonstrations as terrorist actions orchestrated by external enemies a characterization repeated by state media.
President Donald Trump said on the same day that Iran was in big trouble with people taking over cities that few thought possible weeks earlier. Trump warned “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too” while adding “I just hope the protesters in Iran are going to be safe because that’s a very dangerous place right now.” The comments followed his earlier statements about potential US assistance to demonstrators after a US strike on Iran in June 2025.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported at least 62 people killed since demonstrations erupted on December 28 including 48 protesters and 14 security personnel. Protests began when Tehran shopkeepers reacted to a sharp slide in the rial’s value which fell to record lows around 1.42 million to the US dollar in early January.[[1]](https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/1/16/why-is-irans-economy-failing-prompting-deadly-protests) Food inflation reached an annual rate of 72 percent amid the currency’s 16 percent drop in December alone according to economic assessments.
NetBlocks confirmed on January 9 that a nationwide internet blackout imposed the previous day had cut connectivity to 1 percent of ordinary levels for more than 24 hours with phone systems also down and airlines cancelling flights. Iranian rights group Hengaw reported that security forces opened fire on a protest march in Zahedan after Friday prayers wounding several participants from the Baluch minority. Videos posted despite the restrictions showed crowds chanting against the government near bonfires and street debris in Tehran and other cities.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States and Israel of fuelling the protest movement and trying to transform peaceful demonstrations into violent ones during a visit to Lebanon. “This is what the Americans and Israelis have stated that they are directly intervening in the protests in Iran” Araghchi said adding that the possibility of military intervention remained low because prior attempts had failed. A US State Department spokesperson called the remarks a delusional attempt to deflect from the massive challenges the Iranian regime faces at home.
Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi appealed directly to Trump on social media urging urgent intervention as protesters returned to the streets. Pahlavi wrote “I have called the people to the streets to fight for their freedom and to overwhelm the security forces with sheer numbers” and noted that the US threat had kept security forces at bay. Analyst Holly Dagres told the Associated Press that Pahlavi’s calls had turned the tide of the protests prompting the internet shutdown to limit visibility.
The demonstrations reflect ongoing economic pressures that according to multiple reports had seen the rial lose more than half its value in the preceding six months. Similar unrest occurred in 2019 over fuel prices and in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini both of which also featured internet restrictions and reported casualties according to human rights monitors. President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for restraint and attention to genuine grievances even as other officials pledge strict enforcement against rioters.
