+++ There are street protests in the Iranian metropolises of Tehran and Mashhad for the second day in a row.
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- +++ There are street protests in the Iranian metropolises of Tehran and Mashhad for the second day in a row.
- +++ Great Britain, France and Germany have called on the Iranian leadership to refrain from violence against the growing protest movement in the country.
- +++ Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi has warned of a possible massacre by the security forces.
- +++ The death toll from the protests in Iran is said to have risen to at least 62.
- +++ Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, announced a repressive course in a televised speech.
Videos shared on social media showed crowds of people gathering in central places. The recordings could not initially be independently verified. The exact extent of the demonstrations was initially unclear. Because of the nationwide internet shutdown, only a few recordings were leaked to the outside world.
+++ Great Britain, France and Germany have called on the Iranian leadership to refrain from violence against the growing protest movement in the country.
In a joint statement, Prime Minister Starmer, President Macron and Chancellor Merz also condemn the killing of demonstrators and the actions of Iranian special forces.
+++ Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi has warned of a possible massacre by the security forces.
Credible indications suggested that the government might try to turn that night into a bloodbath under the protection of the communications blackout, wrote Ebadi, who lives in exile. The nationwide interruption of the Internet is not a technical problem, but a tactic.
+++ The death toll from the protests in Iran is said to have risen to at least 62.
This figure was given by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which relies on a network of activists within Iran for its reporting. This information cannot be independently verified. The human rights group Hengaw, based in Norway, also reported an incident in western Iran. Ten members of a regional military unit were killed in unrest in the city of Kermanshah.
+++ Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, announced a repressive course in a televised speech.
He accused the demonstrators of acting on behalf of opposition groups in exile and the United States. The Islamic Republic will not give in to vandals, he said. According to state television, the head of the judiciary announced “decisive, maximum and without legal leniency” punishment for protests. The Tehran prosecutor threatened the death penalty. Last week, President Peseschkian called for a “friendly and responsible approach”.
This message was sent on January 9th, 2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program.
