Iran’s nationwide unrest has left at least 2,677 people dead, with 1,693 additional reported deaths still under investigation, according to the latest update from the US-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), as of January 16. HRANA also reported 2,677 severe injuries and said the number of detainees had reached 19,097.
In light of the unrest, the United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Iran on January 15 in New York. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has threatened military action, warning Tehran against executing detained protesters.
HRANA said it had confirmed protests in 187 cities and towns across all 31 provinces since the unrest began and recorded 618 protests in total.
HRANA’s latest breakdown of confirmed fatalities includes:
On January 13, an Iranian official told Reuters that 2,000 people had been killed, blaming “terrorists” for protesters’ deaths.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks said Iran has experienced an internet shutdown lasting more than 168 hours, warning the disruption was affecting access to essential services and family communications, while making verification harder. US media reports have also suggested the shutdown has extended beyond internet restrictions, with disruptions to telephone lines, including landlines, in some areas.
Some Iranians have used Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, to connect. However, Iran bans Starlink terminals and authorities have reportedly tried to trace them.
Iran restricts many international news organisations from operating inside the country. State broadcasters and official agencies follow government guidelines, while independent Iranian journalists become vulnerable to harassment or prosecution for reporting anything that criticises authorities. Iran has also blocked many major social media platforms and Western news outlets. While some citizens use VPNs to bypass restrictions, the continuing communications blackout has sharply reduced the flow of videos and eyewitness accounts, making independent verification of events inside the country increasingly difficult.
He followed this by announcing on January 12 that countries that continue doing business with Iran would face a 25 percent tariff on trade with the US.
On January 13, Trump further urged protesters in Iran to continue their fight against the regime. “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” he wrote on Truth Social. He also told Iranians to “save the names of the killers” and warned: “They will pay a big price.” Trump added that “help is on its way” but did not explain what form that help might take.
The same day, Trump told CBC that the US would take “very strong action” if Iran carried out executions. “If they hang them, you’re going to see some things,” he said.
A day later, the US President took a more cautious tone, telling reporters in the Oval Office that he had been assured the violence was easing and executions were not planned. “We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping, and it’s stopped and stopping, and there’s no plan for executions or an execution,” he said. Despite this, on the same day (January 15), the US Treasury Department announced sanctions on five Iranian officials for being responsible for the “deadly suppression of protesters”.
Separately, Araghchi said in a letter to the UN Security Council that the unrest had turned into what he described as a “planned effort by terrorist groups”. He accused outside powers of interference and pointed to deaths among government forces during the turmoil.
Iran’s judiciary also commented on the case of Erfan Soltani, after reports circulated suggesting he faced execution. Authorities said the charges against him did not carry the death penalty.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammad Pakpour repeated claims carried by Iran’s state news agency that the US and Israel had instigated the unrest, without providing evidence. He said those countries would “receive the response at an appropriate time”.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization issued a Notice to Air Missions ordering the airspace closed to most aircraft, allowing only certain international arrivals and departures with official permission. Flight tracking data showed only a small number of aircraft over Iran as the order took effect, while international carriers diverted routes around the country until the restriction expired.
Indian airlines issued travel advisories after the closure disrupted flight routes. The Press Trust of India reported Air India cancelled at least three US-bound flights and warned of delays on some services to Europe after the Iranian airspace shutdown disrupted key routes. Air India said flights were using alternative routes “in view of the safety of our passengers”, while IndiGo and SpiceJet also flagged potential disruption.
Some US and UK personnel were evacuated as a precaution from sites in West Asia, while the British embassy in Tehran was temporarily closed. India, Spain, Italy and Poland advised citizens to leave Iran, following similar US warnings.
The first evacuation flight from Tehran to India is expected to depart on January 16.
First Published: Jan 16, 2026, 18:20
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