First estimate Up to 18,000 dead after protests in Iran
Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei confirms for the first time that thousands have died in days of protests in Iran. The more figures are leaked despite an internet blackout, the higher the estimates.
18.01.2026, 13:10
18.01.2026, 13:12
dpa
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- According to a media report, between 16,500 and 18,000 people are said to have been killed and up to 360,000 injured during the mass protests in Iran.
- Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei admitted for the first time that thousands had died; independent verification of the number of victims is currently not possible.
- The protests began at the end of December due to economic hardship, but quickly developed into nationwide demonstrations against the authoritarian regime.
According to the newspaper "The Sunday Times", 16,500 to 18,000 people are said to have been killed during the mass protests in Iran. Employees in eight large eye clinics and 16 emergency rooms in the country have compiled the figures.
According to this, a further 330,000 to 360,000 people are said to have been injured. At least 700 to 1000 people lost an eye. In the Noor Clinic alone, an eye hospital in Tehran, 7,000 eye injuries have been documented.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei admitted for the first time on Saturday that there had been thousands of deaths during the protests.
Data cannot be independently verified
Iran expert Holly Dagres from the Washington Institute think tank told X that a diplomat had confirmed to her that his embassy believed the figure of 12,000 deaths to be accurate.
The US-based activist network Hrana reported on X that 3,308 deaths had been confirmed. A further 4,382 were being investigated. At least 24,266 people have been arrested.
None of the information can currently be independently verified.
Reporting on the victims following the violent crackdown by security forces on demonstrators is difficult because the Iranian leadership imposed an internet blockade on January 8. One of the few ways around the blockade is the Starlink satellite internet service provided by Elon Musk's space company SpaceX.
Activists expect the number of victims to rise further as more information leaks out.
The protests began at the end of December due to the dramatic economic crisis and very high inflation. However, they quickly expanded into political demonstrations against the authoritarian system of the Islamic Republic.
