OIFI
January 2026 Iran Massacres
8 Jan 2026
Between 8 and 25 January 2026, Iranian security forces killed thousands of civilians during a crackdown on the 2025–2026 protests. Ali Khamenei ordered the Supreme National Security Council to crush the protests by any means necessary on 9 January. Ali Larijani, secretary of the SNSC, was identified as the chief planner. The IRGC, Basij, and Law Enforcement Command carried out the killings using live ammunition, military-grade weapons, and snipers. Iraqi and Lebanese militias including the Popular Mobilization Forces and Hezbollah were reported to have participated. Death toll estimates range from HRANA's verified count of over 7,000 to unverified estimates exceeding 30,000. The UN Special Rapporteur stated the killings may constitute crimes against humanity.
Background
The massacres occurred during the largest wave of Iranian protests since 1979, which had escalated from late 2025. Initial demonstrations were driven by economic grievances from bazaar merchants, workers, and wage earners. By January 2026, the protests had spread nationwide and taken on explicitly political dimensions.
On 8 January, opposition figure Reza Pahlavi issued a call for unified nationwide protests. That evening, chanting broke out across Tehran and other major cities.
The Massacres
On 8-9 January 2026, security forces launched coordinated mass killings across multiple cities. According to leaked IRGC documents and testimony from a former IRGC member identified as Kazem, the operation involved snipers positioned on rooftops, crowd-steering tactics, and systematic targeting of protest leaders.
The Supreme National Security Council, under Ali Larijani, authorized live fire. Ali Khamenei personally issued the order to crush the protests, with the approval of all three branches of government, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Judiciary Head Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei.
The IRGC Intelligence Organisation, under Majid Khademi, conducted surveillance operations. Police forces under Ahmad-Reza Radan and Basij under Gholamreza Soleimani were directly involved in the killings.
Foreign militia forces, including members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces and Lebanon's Hezbollah, reportedly crossed into Iran to assist in the crackdown.
Internet Blackout
Iranian authorities imposed a near-total internet shutdown starting 10 January, restricting communication inside the country and limiting the flow of information about the killings.
Executions and Detentions
By late January, over 50,000 people had been arrested. Multiple protesters were sentenced to death in rapid show trials. Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei ordered no leniency toward those the regime described as rioters.
Civil Society Response
On 28 January, prominent political prisoners and civil society figures, including Nasrin Sotoudeh, Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Rasoulof, and Narges Mohammadi, signed a joint statement condemning the massacres.
Death Toll
HRANA's verified count reached over 7,000 confirmed deaths by late February. Iran International published a list of 6,634 confirmed names. Medical networks estimated the true toll at 20,000 to 30,000. The government acknowledged 2,986 deaths. The UN Special Rapporteur stated at least 5,000 were killed and possibly more than 20,000.