Iran Protests Death Toll Rises to at Least 29

At least 29 people have been killed in protests across Iran, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, as demonstrations driven by economic grievances continue to spread across the country.

The rights group said on Monday evening that the death toll includes four children and two members of Iran’s security forces. Protests have been recorded in 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces, highlighting the scale of the unrest sparked by the country’s worsening economic situation.

The demonstrations began about a week ago after the Iranian rial fell to a record low against the US dollar, intensifying public anger over inflation, unemployment, and declining living standards. Authorities have responded with a mixed strategy, acknowledging the economic crisis and offering dialogue with protesters, while also using force to suppress some demonstrations.

Iran’s security and intelligence agencies said they had detained several individuals accused of having “links to foreign-based opposition groups” and of attempting to incite unrest under the guise of protests.

State-linked Fars news agency reported that around 250 police officers and 45 members of the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force, were injured during clashes with demonstrators.

While the current wave of protests has not reached the scale of the nationwide unrest that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022, the demonstrations have quickly evolved beyond economic demands. Some protesters have been heard chanting slogans such as “Down with the Islamic Republic” and “Death to the dictator,” in reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority in the country.

The unrest comes at a sensitive time for Iran, which is still dealing with the aftermath of its war with Israel in June last year and US strikes on its nuclear facilities. The protests have also unfolded as the administration of US President Donald Trump carried out military action in Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro, a key ally of Tehran.

Analysts say developments in Venezuela may have heightened fears among Iran’s leadership of renewed confrontation with Washington, particularly as nuclear negotiations remain stalled.

“These twin pressures have narrowed Tehran's room for manoeuvre, leaving leaders caught between public anger on the streets and hardening demands and threats from Washington, with few viable options and high risks on every path,” an Iranian official told Reuters.

Two other officials and a former Iranian official close to the country’s decision-makers echoed that assessment. One official said that following US actions in Venezuela, some Iranian authorities fear the country could be “the next victim of Trump's aggressive foreign policy”.

Trump has previously warned that Iran would be “hit very hard” if more protesters were killed, adding to the international pressure facing Tehran as the unrest continues.