Medics in Tehran and Shiraz reported emergency wards under acute pressure as nationwide protests entered a second week on 10 January. Doctors told the BBC their facilities were overwhelmed with protest‑related injuries, while severe restrictions on international reporting and a near total internet shutdown since Thursday evening have hindered verification and oversight. ([aol.com](https://www.aol.com/articles/iran-medics-describe-overwhelmed-hospitals-082510604.html?utm_source=openai))
A Tehran physician said Farabi Hospital, the city’s main eye specialist centre, suspended non‑urgent work and recalled staff to manage trauma cases. A medic in Shiraz separately described multiple gunshot wounds, including to the head and eyes, and a shortage of surgeons to operate. Rights organisations have concurrently documented widespread use of metal pellets and live fire resulting in head and eye injuries. ([aol.com](https://www.aol.com/articles/iran-medics-describe-overwhelmed-hospitals-082510604.html?utm_source=openai))
Casualty reporting diverges under the blackout but points to a rising toll. Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) recorded at least 51 protesters killed, including nine children, in the first 13 days of unrest. The US‑based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has reported more than 2,300 arrests and, in some updates, a death toll exceeding 60 as of 10 January. Figures are likely incomplete due to movement and communications restrictions. ([iranhr.net](https://iranhr.net/en/articles/8522/?utm_source=openai))
Iran’s judiciary and security bodies hardened their stance. Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei ordered prosecutors to show “no leniency” toward those labelled rioters. The Supreme National Security Council said “decisive and necessary legal action” would follow against what it called armed vandals, and the IRGC’s intelligence arm vowed to pursue what it described as terrorist acts until the “complete defeat of the enemy’s plan.” ([al-monitor.com](https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/01/irans-top-judge-warns-protesters-no-leniency-unrest-persists?utm_source=openai))
Officials have signalled that some detainees could face capital charges. State figures and aligned media have described protesters as “enemies of God,” a designation under Iranian law that can carry the death penalty, alongside warnings of expedited prosecutions. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/c867cd53c99585cc5e0cd98eafe95d16?utm_source=openai))
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei struck a defiant tone, accusing foreign actors of stoking unrest and warning that the state would not step back from confronting what it calls destructive elements. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-cut-off-world-supreme-leader-warns-protesters-2026-01-09/?utm_source=openai))
The United Nations urged restraint. Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said people everywhere have the right to demonstrate peacefully and called on authorities to protect that right, while UN human rights chief Volker Türk pressed for an independent and transparent investigation into reported deaths and mass arrests and criticised the internet shutdown’s impact on fundamental freedoms and emergency services. ([ungeneva.org](https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/news/2026/01/114536/iran-protests-un-warns-against-further-bloodshed?utm_source=openai))
European leaders also coordinated positions. After a call on 9 January, the UK Prime Minister, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and France’s President Emmanuel Macron agreed on close coordination as events evolve, with the UK reiterating support for the right to peaceful protest. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-call-with-chancellor-merz-of-germany-and-president-macron-of-france-9-january-2026?utm_source=openai))
Washington’s response intensified. President Donald Trump warned Iran’s leadership against using lethal force, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly declared US support for protesters. The State Department dismissed accusations by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that the US and Israel are fuelling unrest as “delusional.” Iran has formally written to the UN Security Council blaming Washington for turning protests into “violent subversive acts,” a claim carried by state and regional media. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/rubio-expresses-us-support-iranian-people-amidst-anti-government-protests-2026-01-10/?utm_source=openai))
For policy professionals, the near total internet cut complicates humanitarian triage, casualty documentation and consular support, while increasing the risk of unrecorded abuses. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have urged urgent diplomatic action and called on prosecutors in other countries to explore cases under universal jurisdiction should grave violations continue. Protests were first recorded on 28 December 2025 and have since spread nationwide amid acute economic strain. ([amnestyusa.org](https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/iran-internet-shutdown-hides-violations-in-escalating-deadly-crackdown-on-protesters/?utm_source=openai))