Nationwide Protests in Iran Met with Violent Government Crackdown
The Islamic Republic of Iran has suppressed a surge of protests that swept the nation from late December to early February, with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly killing 3,100 to 6,800 citizens.
Protests initially focused on economic issues like inflation, which had risen to 48.6% in October, according to Trading Economics. (For reference, recent U.S. inflation peaked at 9.1% in 2022.) However, a larger anti-government narrative soon spread through the country, and an estimated five million civilians protested across 200 cities. These protests have been the largest and bloodiest protests in the nation’s history since the 1979 revolution, which overthrew the previous, monarchical government.
The government disabled internet access for the entire country at the height of the protests on January 8. Internet access returned at the end of January, following an estimated $33–35 million in losses for businesses, but access remains limited and unreliable. Amnesty International condemned the move, stating this was done to prevent spreading documentation of unlawful killings by security forces, which perpetuates impunity.
Ali Khamenei, Grand Ayatollah and Supreme Leader of Iran, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the IRGC “carried out their duties in full” to prevent a coup “orchestrated by the Zionists [Israel] and the US.” The Israeli intelligence agency Mossad confirmed their presence through posts on their Persian-speaking Farsi Telegram and X accounts; however, it is currently unclear how present or involved foreign actors were in the protests.
Western leaders have condemned the killings, with the EU labeling the IRGC terrorists and sanctioning Iranian goods, further weakening their economy. Trump posted several times in support of Iranian protestors and hinted at American intervention at the beginning of January.
Once protests declined, Trump continued referencing intervention, now on the grounds of Iran negotiating denuclearization, revealing on January 28 that an armada sent to the region was prepared to “rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.” Khamenei tweeted that if the US were to attack Iran again, “This time it will be a regional war.”
Iranian and American officials talked through mediators in Oman on Friday, February 7, with both sides positively responding to the initial negotiation and stating that more would occur in the future.
