People attend a rally in Frankfurt, Germany against Iranian administration's crackdown on protesters. (AP)Iran Protests News Today Live Updates: Amid protests in Iran, Indian Embassy urged Indian nationals, including students, business persons and tourists in the Middle Eastern nation to leave the country immediately and advised caution against venturing into areas of protests or demonstrations.
Reza Pahlavi on Iran protest: Exiled Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi, Wednesday urged Iranians to “continue the fight” while reiterating United States President Donald Trump’s message from a day earlier, “help is on the way.” “Do not allow this regime to create the illusion that life is normal,” Pahlavi wrote over a post on X. Trump had announced he was cutting off the prospect of talks with Iranian officials. He called on the Iranian government to “show humanity” to the protesters as the death toll in nationwide crackdown rose to 2,571 in the country, news agency AP reported. The US president said he believes that the killing is “significant” and that his administration would “act accordingly.”
Execution of protester: Meanwhile, Iran is set to carry out the first execution in connection with the ongoing anti-government protests that have entered their third week. According to exiled activists and human rights groups in Iran, Erfan Soltani, a protester who was arrested last week, could be executed as early as Wednesday. According to Iran Human Rights, 26-year-old Soltani was arrested in the city of Fardis, in Karaj district of Iran’s Alborz province, on January 8 for participating in the ongoing protests.
Amid reports of the US withdrawing some of its personnel from key bases in the Middle East, European officials believe that a military intervention in Iran is imminent. Two European officials told Reuters that US military intervention appeared likely, with one saying it could come in the next 24 hours.
An Israeli official said that it appeared Trump had taken a decision to intervene, though the scope and timing had yet to be made clear.
Britain is withdrawing some personnel from an air base in Qatar ahead of possible strikes by the United States, the i newspaper reported on Wednesday, mirroring similar moves by the US at bases in the Middle East.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said the department did not comment on details of basing and deployments due to security.
"The UK always puts precautionary measures in place to ensure the security and safety of our personnel, including where necessary withdrawing personnel," the spokesperson added. (Reuters)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar received a call from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday to discuss the situation evolving in Iran.
Jaishankar, while informing about the development in a post on X wrote, "Received a call from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. We discussed the evolving situation in and around Iran."
Received a call from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. @araghchi
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 14, 2026
We discussed the evolving situation in and around Iran.
A doctor described the scene at public and private hospitals in Tehran and Isfahan during the nights of January 8 and 9 as something that he has only seen in movies, according to IranWire.
"I have been a doctor in various hospitals since the 2009 Green Movement. I did not see this level of catastrophe even during the devastating earthquakes in Bam or Kermanshah. There were sounds of gunfire, rapid bursts, and even heavy machine guns. We had only seen this in movies, never in real life," the doctor said.
Some personnel at a key US military base in Qatar have been advised to evacuate by Wednesday evening, a US official said. The decision came as a senior official in Iran brought up an earlier Iranian attack there. The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive plans, described the move at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as a precautionary measure.
The official wouldn’t go into any further details about the move, including whether the evacuation was optional or mandatory, if it affected troops or civilian personnel, or the number of those advised to leave, citing the need for operational security. In response, Qatar said Wednesday that such measures were being “undertaken in response to the current regional tensions.”
- AP
The United States is withdrawing personnel from key Middle East bases in the region as a precaution given heightened regional tensions, a US official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The head of Iran’s judiciary signaled Wednesday there would be fast trials and executions ahead for those detained in nationwide protests despite a warning from US President Donald Trump.
The comments from Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei come as activists had warned hangings of those detained could come soon.
- AP
Satellite internet provider Starlink now offering free service inside Iran, activists say.
AP
Despite the United States and other countries around the world asking Iran to end its brutal crackdown on protesters, the head of Iran’s judiciary signalled that those detained in nationwide protests would face fast trials and executions. Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, Iran’s judiciary chief, made the remarks after activists warned that detainees in the country could face execution by hanging.
An Iranian official has confirmed that more than 2,000 people, including security personnel. However, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency suggests the massive unrest has claimed the lives of at least 2,571 people.
“If we want to do a job, we should do it now. If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly,” he said. “If it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn’t have the same effect. If we want to do something, we have to do that fast”, Mohseni-Ejei said in a video shared by the Iranian state television. Read more
Amid protests in Iran, Indian Embassy urged Indian nationals, including students, business persons and tourists in the Middle Eastern nation to leave the country immediately and advised caution against venturing into areas of protests or demonstrations.
Iran Wednesday warned regional countries it will strike US military bases in those countries in case of a US attack, a senior Iranian official told news agency Reuters.
This comes after United States President Donald Trump's threatened to intervene amid nationwide anti-government protests. (Reuters)
The United Nations human rights chief has called on Iranian authorities to immediately halt violence and repression against peaceful protesters, citing reports of hundreds killed and thousands arrested in a wave of demonstrations over the past weeks, news agency AP reported.
“The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labelling of protesters as ‘terrorists’ to justify violence against them is unacceptable,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement on Tuesday.
Türk said demonstrators have sought “fundamental changes” to governance in the country, “and once again, the authorities’ reaction is to inflict brutal force to repress legitimate demands for change.”
“This cycle of horrific violence cannot continue,” he added.
It was also “extremely worrying” to hear some public statements from judicial officials mentioning the prospect of the use of the death penalty against protesters through expedited judicial proceedings, Türk said.
“Iranians have the right to demonstrate peacefully. Their grievances need to be heard and addressed, and not instrumentalized by anyone,” Türk said. (AP)
Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said he summoned Iran’s ambassador to the Netherlands “to formally protest the excessive violence against peaceful protesters, large-scale arbitrary arrests, and internet shutdowns, calling for immediate restoration of internet access inside the Islamic Republic," news agency AP reported.
In a post on X, Weel also said the Dutch government supports EU sanctions against “human rights violators in Iran.” (AP)
France suspects that Iran's crackdown on demonstrations across the country is the most violent in the country's contemporary history, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday, according to news agency Reuters.
"What we suspect is that this is the most violent repression in Iran's contemporary history and that it must absolutely stop," Barrot said. (Reuters)
Iranian Foreign Minister has threatened to mirror European restrictions placed on Iran, a day after the European Parliament announced it would ban Iranian diplomats and representatives, news agency AP reported.
“Iran does not seek enmity with the EU, but will reciprocate any restriction,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote Tuesday on X.
He also criticized the European Parliament for not taking any significant action against Israel for the more than two-year war in Gaza that has killed more than 71,400 Palestinians, while banning Iranian diplomats after just “a few days of violent riots.” (AP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that new sanctions will be imposed on Iranian officials over the crackdown on protestors.
“The rising number of casualties in Iran is horrifying. I unequivocally condemn the excessive use of force and continued restriction of freedom,” von der Leyen said in a post on social media.
She said that in cooperation with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, “further sanctions on those responsible for the repression will be swiftly proposed. We stand with the people of Iran who are bravely marching for their liberty."
The EU has already imposed sanctions on members of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and others over past concerns about human rights abuses in Iran.
EU foreign policy chief says it’s not clear whether the Iranian government will fall Kaja Kallas said in Berlin Tuesday that the Iranian government might go the way of former President Bashar Assad’s government in Syria, which fell swiftly in late 2024 in a “surprise for everybody.”
But she added that “very often these regimes are very, very resilient.”Kallas said that “right now … it is not clear whether the regime is going to fall or not.” She said it would ultimately have to be up to the Iranian people to make decisions. (AP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that new sanctions will be imposed on Iranian officials over the crackdown on protesters, news agency AP reported.
“The rising number of casualties in Iran is horrifying. I unequivocally condemn the excessive use of force and continued restriction of freedom,” von der Leyen said in a post on social media.
She said that in cooperation with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas “further sanctions on those responsible for the repression will be swiftly proposed. We stand with the people of Iran who are bravely marching for their liberty.”
The EU has already imposed sanctions on members of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and others over past concerns about human rights abuses in Iran, as per the AP report.
EU foreign policy chief says it’s not clear whether the Iranian government will fall Kaja Kallas said in Berlin Tuesday that the Iranian government might go the way of former President Bashar Assad’s government in Syria, which fell swiftly in late 2024 in a “surprise for everybody.” But she added that “very often these regimes are very, very resilient.”
Kallas said that “right now … it is not clear whether the regime is going to fall or not.” She said it would ultimately have to be up to the Iranian people to make decisions. (AP)
Iran is set to carry out the first execution in connection with the ongoing anti-government protests that have entered their third week.
According to exiled activists and human rights groups in Iran, Erfan Soltani, a protester who was arrested last week, could be executed as early as Wednesday, January 14.
According to Iran Human Rights, 26-year-old Soltani was arrested in the city of Fardis, in Karaj district of Iran’s Alborz province, on January 8 for participating in the ongoing protests.
IHRNGO, citing sources close to his family, on January 12, “his family were informed that he had been sentenced to death and that the sentence is due to be carried out on 14 January.”
There was no trial on hearing in his case. Since his arrest, the family said, Soltani was allowed to meet them only once, for just 10 minutes.
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans for “full and further sanctions” against Iran targeting finance, energy, transport and other significant industries after the Foreign Office summoned the Islamic Republic’s ambassador to explain the nation’s response to the escalating protests, news agency AP reported.
Cooper told the House of Commons on Tuesday that a “desperate regime,’’ must not be allowed to undermine a “genuine grassroots movement’’ which has spread across regions.
“And that is why we and other governments across the world are determined not to play into the hands of the regime or to allow our words or actions to be twisted to support their lies and propaganda,’’ she said, the news agency quoted.
“The world is watching Iran, and the UK will continue to confront the regime’s lies, to call out its repression and to take the steps necessary to protect the UK’s interests.” (AP)
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot summoned the Iranian ambassador Tuesday to denounce Iran’s repression of protesters, which Barrot called “intolerable, unbearable, and inhumane."
Addressing lawmakers at France’s National Assembly, Barrot said that France “condemned the repression in the strongest possible terms, denouncing this state violence that was unleashed blindly upon peaceful protesters.”
“I have conveyed this condemnation to the Iranian foreign minister and it will be reiterated to the Iranian ambassador to France, whom I summoned today to the Foreign Ministry,” he added. (AP)
Germany’s Foreign Ministry has said it summoned the Iranian ambassador in Berlin on Tuesday to protest the crackdown against demonstrators, news agency AP reported.
The ministry wrote in a social media post that “the Iranian regime’s brutal action against its own population is shocking.” It called on Iran to end the use of violence against its own people and “respect their rights.” (AP)
Russia’s Foreign Ministry called Tuesday the threats by United States to strike Iran “categorically unacceptable.”
The ministry warned in a statement that any such strikes would have “disastrous consequences” for the situation in the Middle East and global security. It also criticized what it called “brazen attempts to blackmail Iran’s foreign partners by raising trade tariffs.”
The statement noted that the protests in Iran had been triggered by social and economic problems resulting from Western sanctions. It also denounced “hostile external forces” for trying to “exploit the resulting growing social tension to destabilize and destroy the Iranian state” and charged that “specially trained and armed provocateurs acting on instructions from abroad” sought to provoke violence.
The ministry voiced hope that the situation in Iran will gradually stabilize and advised Russian citizens in the Islamic Republic not to visit crowded places. (AP)
United Nations (UN) officials said Tuesday that the more than 500 UN staff members in Iran are safe and accounted for, as of Monday, news agency AP reported.
Stephane Dujarric, the UN spokesperson, told reporters that many staff were working from home given the unrest that has spread throughout the country and killed hundreds of protesters.
The UN country team in Iran has 46 international staff and 448 national staff. (AP)
Iranian officials will hold a funeral Wednesday for the “martyrs and security defenders” who have died in the nationwide protests that intensified in the last week, news agency AP reported quoting Iranian state TV.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, believed to be close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, stated that the funeral will take place at Tehran University and will be the first among many state funerals held for security forces in the coming days. (AP)
Iranian and Qatari officials spoke Tuesday amid the crackdown in Iran and America’s escalating threats to intervene if protesters are not spared.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, spoke over phone with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister.
In a statement on X, Al Thani said he “reaffirmed the State of Qatar’s backing of all de-escalation efforts, as well as peaceful solutions to enhance security and stability in the region.”
Since the protests began on Dec 28 last year, more than 16,700 people have been detained and more than 2,000 have been killed, the vast majority protesters, according to Human Rights Activists News Agency.
More than 600 protests have taken place across all of Iran's 31 provinces, the agency reported on Tuesday.
The activist group said 1,850 of the dead were protesters and 135 were government-affiliated. (AP)
Iran eased some restrictions on its people and, for the first time in days, allowed them to make phone calls abroad via their mobile phones on Tuesday, news agency AP reported.
It did not ease restrictions on the internet or permit texting services to be restored as the death toll from days of bloody protests against the state rose to at least 2,571 people.
Although Iranians were able to call abroad, people outside the country could not call them, several people in the capital told The Associated Press.
This comes after authorities cut off all communications inside the country and to the outside world last Thursday. (AP)
United States Senator Thom Tillis took to X to announce that the Iranian regime had killed around 12,000 of its own citizens, and is hiding the numbers by putting communications curbs.
"The Iranian regime has reportedly killed 12,000 of its own citizens for demanding freedom and is shutting down the internet to hide the truth. That’s what a repressive government looks like when it’s desperate to cling to power. The United States cannot look the other way. We must hold the Iranian regime accountable for all atrocities and be ready to stand with their people fighting to live free," the Senator urged.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThe Iranian regime has reportedly killed 12,000 of its own citizens for demanding freedom and is shutting down the internet to hide the truth. That’s what a repressive government looks like when it’s desperate to cling to power. The United States cannot look the other way. We…
— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) January 13, 2026
United States President Donald Trump urged Iranian protesters to continued the protests, and save the names of those abusing them as they would "pay a very big price."
"And by the way, to all Iranian patriots, keep protesting, take over your institutions if possible," he said.
He added, "... You saw that I put tariffs on anybody doing business with Iran, just went into effect today. And I say, Make Iran Great Again! Iran was a great country until these monsters came in and took it over."
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js.@POTUS: "And by the way, to all Iranian patriots, keep protesting ... You saw that I put tariffs on anybody doing business with Iran, just went into effect today.
— Department of State (@StateDept) January 13, 2026
And I say: Make Iran Great Again." pic.twitter.com/KSwxOR8X2o
A day after US President Donald Trump announced he was cutting off the prospect of talks with Iranian officials, the death toll in nationwide crackdown rose to 2,571 in the country, news agency AP reported.
Trump has called on the Iranian government to “show humanity” to the protesters, saying that he believes that the killing is “significant” and that his administration would “act accordingly.”
He believed the Iranian government was “badly misbehaving."
However, on the death toll, Trump said he has yet to receive a confirmed number of Iranians killed in the protests that began late last month, saying he has heard “five different sets of numbers” about the death toll. (AP)
Exiled Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi, Wednesday urged Iranians to “continue the fight” while reiterating United States President Donald Trump’s message from a day earlier, “help is on the way.”
“Do not allow this regime to create the illusion that life is normal,” Pahlavi wrote over a post on X.
Pahlavi also urged the Army personnel of Iran to join the protesters, whom he referred to as "compatriots," to join the latter "as soon as possible."
"You are the national military of Iran, not the military of the Islamic Republic. You have a duty to protect the lives of your compatriots. You do not have much time. Join them as soon as possible," he wrote.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsMy compatriots,
— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) January 13, 2026
The world has not just seen and heard your voice and courage, it is now responding.
By now, you have probably heard the message from the President of the United States. Help is on the way.
Continue the fight, as you have done so far.
Do not allow this regime… https://t.co/KfotmDo0br
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday advised the American citizens who are currently in Iran to leave the country amid the nationwide crackdown on protesters by the Islamic Republic's clerical authorities.
When questioned by a reporter whether US citizens or citizens of US allies should leave Iran, Trump responded saying, "I would say it’s not a bad idea to get out." He further said that he hasn't been able to make a firm grasp on the number of protesters killed in the demonstrations across Iran, CNN reported.
US President Donald Trump administration's special envoy Steve Witkoff over the weekend met with exiled son of Iran's last shah, Reza Pahlavi, who is a prominent voice in the fragmented opposition, to discuss the protests roiling the Islamic Republic, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified senior US official.
US President Donald Trump said that "You'll soon find out" when asked about his social media post on Iran protests earlier in the day, wherein he urged the Iranian citizens to continue their protests and said that "help was on its way".
Trump, in a post on Truth Social had said, "Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
Canada has issued travel advisory for its citizens currently in Iran amid a nationwide crackdown on protesters and said that "Canadians must leave now."
In a post on X, the Canadian government said, "Canadians in #iran should leave now if safe to do so. Overland crossings are available via #armenia and #turkiye. Canadian passport holders do not require a visa to enter either country."
Canadians in #iran should leave now if safe to do so. Overland crossings are available via #armenia and #turkiye. Canadian passport holders do not require a visa to enter either country. https://t.co/99clK5kSni pic.twitter.com/LE3XavfPLE
— Travel.gc.ca (@TravelGoC) January 13, 2026
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said on Tuesday that United Kingdom will work to bring additional sanctions against Iran.
In a statement in the British parliament, Cooper said, "The United Kingdom condemns in the strongest of terms the horrendous and brutal killing of Iranian protestors and we demand that the Iranian authorities respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of their citizens."
The US House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority, in a post on X, addressed the Iranian citizens and said that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khamenei, "has butchered your people, made rial the weakest currency in the world, and squandered your country’s resources."
To the Iranian people: Ayatollah @khamenei_ir has butchered your people, made rial the weakest currency in the world, and squandered your country’s resources.
— House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority (@HouseForeignGOP) January 13, 2026
Make regime change inevitable.
Russia on Tuesday condemned what it described as "subversive external interference" in Iran's internal politics and said US threats of new military strikes against the country were "categorically unacceptable."
"Those who plan to use externally inspired unrest as a pretext for repeating the aggression against Iran committed in June 2025 must be aware of the disastrous consequences of such actions for the situation in the Middle East and global international security," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. (Reuters)
Germany's foreign ministry has summoned Iranian ambassador in order to express concern over violence against protesters as more than 2,000 people, including security personnel have been killed in the demonstrations, which has entered into its third week.
US President Donald Trump has urged the Iranian protesters to "take over" their institutions and "keep protesting" as he cancelled all the meetings with Iranian officials and said that "help is on its way".
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY."
Britain Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper has said that Prime Minister Keir Starmer-led United kingdom's administration is "working tirelessly" to ensure safety of British nationals in Iran amid the widespread protests in the country as more than 2,000 people, including security personnel have been killed.
US President Donald Trump's threat to slap a 25% tariff on countries that trade with Iran risks reopening old wounds with Beijing, Tehran's biggest trading partner.
Iran became a flashpoint in US-China ties during Trump's 2017-21 first term as president as Washington tightened sanctions on Tehran and put China's Huawei, accused of selling technology to the Islamic Republic, in its crosshairs.
The arrest of Meng Wenzhou, the daughter of Huawei's founder, in Canada at Washington's request sparked retaliation and a hostage crisis, with bitter recriminations lingering for the remainder of Trump's first administration.
- Reuters
As Iran enters fifth day of continued internet blackout, some Iranians are still using internet via entrepreneur Elon Musk's Starlink, a Reuters report claimed quoting three people from inside the country.
Iranian authorities, while implementing communication restriction in the country, blocked fiber-optic cables and cellphone towers providing internet services to the people.
But the report stated that Starlink, which directly operates through thousands of low-earth orbit satellites, is still working in the country.
The European Union will "swiftly" propose further sanctions on those responsible for the repression of demonstrations in Iran, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday.
"The rising number of casualties in Iran is horrifying. I unequivocally condemn the excessive use of force and continued restriction of freedom, " von der Leyen wrote in a post on X.
The rising number of casualties in Iran is horrifying. I unequivocally condemn the excessive use of force and continued restriction of freedom.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 13, 2026
The European Union has already listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety under its human rights sanctions regime.…
More than 2,000 people have been killed in Iran, including security personnel an Iranian official said on Tuesday, the first time authorities acknowledged the high death toll from the nationwide crackdown on protests, which has entered into its third week, Reuters reported.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran’s clerical leadership was nearing collapse, arguing that the ruling establishment in Tehran could no longer survive without resorting to violence, Politico reported. “If a regime can only stay in power through violence, then it is effectively finished,” Merz told journalists during a visit to India. “I assume that we are now witnessing the final days and weeks of this regime.”
Merz said he hoped the conflict could still be resolved through peaceful means, adding that Iran’s leadership must acknowledge that reality. “I hope there is a way to end this conflict peacefully. The mullah regime has to recognize that as well,” he said.
Iran eased some restrictions on its people and, for the first time in days, allowed them to make phone calls abroad via their mobile phones Tuesday. It did not ease restrictions on the internet or allow texting services to be restored as the toll from days of bloody protests against the state rose to at least 646 people killed.
People around the world rallied over the weekend in support of the mass protests in Iran.This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Protesters hold placards during a rally in support of the nationwide mass demonstrations in Iran against the government in Paris, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo)
Protesters participate in a demonstration in Berlin, Germany, in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government. (AP)
Oil prices extended gains on Tuesday as heightened concerns surrounding Iran and potential supply disruptions outweighed the prospect of increased crude supply from Venezuela.
Brent futures rose 22 cents, or 0.3%, to $64.09 a barrel by 0430 GMT, hovering near a two-month high struck in the previous session.
US West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 23 cents, or 0.4%, to $59.73.
"The price increase comes amid intensifying protests in Iran, raising the possibility of some form of intervention by the US," ING commodities strategists said on Tuesday.
_Reuters
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on Monday the Islamic republic is ready for war and talks as well after repeated threats from US President Donald Trump to step in militarily over a crackdown on protests that activists fear has killed hundreds.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is not seeking war but is fully prepared for war," BBC news quoted foreign minister Abbas Araghchi telling a conference of foreign ambassadors in Tehran broadcast by state television.
"We are also ready for negotiations but these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect," Araghchi said.
Mobile phones in Iran were able to call abroad on Tuesday after a crackdown on nationwide protests in which the internet and international calls were cut.
Several people in Tehran were able to call The Associated Press and speak to a journalist there. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call those numbers back. Witnesses said the internet remained cut off from the outside world.
Iran cut off the internet and made calls on Thursday as protests intensified.
US President Donald Trump has announced 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Iran, effective immediately, aiming to pressure Tehran over its violent protest crackdown that has left nearly 600 dead.
Trump stated that Iran is approaching a “redline” and his administration is considering “very strong options,” including potential military action, if Iran continues using deadly force against protesters.
The US Virtual Embassy in Iran has issued a urgent advisory for American citizens to leave Iran immediately due to escalating protests that may turn violent.
The embassy warns of increased security measures, road closures, public transportation disruptions, and internet blockages.
The Iranian government has restricted access to mobile, landline, and national internet networks, and airlines are limiting or canceling flights to and from Iran.
China said late on Monday that it opposed "any illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction" after U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media that nations doing business with Iran will face a 25% tariff on U.S. trade.
"China's position against the indiscriminate imposition of tariffs is consistent and clear. Tariff wars and trade wars have no winners, and coercion and pressure cannot solve problems," a spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Washington said on X.
"China firmly opposes any illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, and will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the widespread protests in Iran amount to a revolution and signal that Russia will also face growing difficulties, urging global leaders to act while change is possible.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy said people around the world want Iranians to be free from a regime he accused of causing “a great deal of evil”, including harm to Ukraine and other countries.
He called on governments and international organisations to support the Iranian people and hold those responsible to account, saying “everything could be different” if the moment is not missed.
آنچه اکنون در ایران اتفاق میافتد از جمله اعتراضات گسترده، در واقع یک قیام، همچنین يک نشانه روشن ان است که برای روسیه آسانتر نخواهد بود. و هر فرد عادی روی زمین واقعاً میخواهد که مردم ایران بلاخره خوش شانس باشد تا خود را از رژیمی
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 12, 2026
که در آنجا وجود دارد و شرارتهای زیادی را به بار…
The protests in Iran cannot be separated from long-standing, state-imposed restrictions on the lives of women and girls, including limits on education and participation in public life, Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai said in a post on X.
She said Iranians have warned for decades about repression enforced through segregation, surveillance and punishment, often at great personal risk, but their voices were repeatedly silenced. Women and girls, she said, are demanding dignity, freedom and the right to shape their own political future.
That future must be driven by the Iranian people themselves and include the leadership of women and girls, without interference from external forces or oppressive regimes.
The protests in Iran cannot be separated from the long-standing, state-imposed restrictions on girls’ and women’s autonomy, in all aspects of public life including education. Iranian girls, like girls everywhere, demand a life with dignity.
— Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) January 12, 2026
The people of Iran have long warned…
The death toll from Iran's nationwide protests has reached at least 646 people killed, activists said Tuesday, with the number expected to rise further.
The toll comes from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate throughout multiple years of demonstrations. It relies on a network of activists inside Iran that confirms all reported fatalities.
With communications blocked in Iran, the AP has been unable to independently confirm the group's toll. Iran's government has not provided casualty figures for the demonstrations.
US President Donald Trump has arrived at a delicate moment as he weighs whether to order a US military response against the Iranian government as it continues a violent crackdown on protests that have left nearly 600 dead and led to the arrests of thousands across the country.
The US president has repeatedly threatened Tehran with military action if his administration found the Islamic Republic was using deadly force against antigovernment protesters.
_AP
Some Iranians are still using Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service despite a nationwide communications blackout, three people inside the country said, the latest example of Starlink being used to counter internet shutdowns in geopolitical flashpoints.
Iranian authorities have in recent days launched a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, including the near-complete shutdown of internet service, which is provided through fiber-optic cables and cellphone towers.
But Starlink, which beams its service directly from thousands of low-earth orbit satellites, is still working in some places in Iran, despite being banned by authorities there, three people using Starlink in the country told Reuters.
One of them, in Western Iran, said he knew dozens of people using Starlink and that users in border towns and cities were largely unaffected.
US President Donald Trump has said that Iran's trade partners will face 25% tariffs from the US as he looks to pressure Tehran over its violent protest crackdown that's left nearly 600 dead across the country.
The US president has repeatedly threatened Tehran with military action, if his administration found the Islamic Republic was using deadly force against anti-government protesters.
It's a redline that Trump says he believes Iran is “starting to cross” and has left him and his national security team weighing “very strong options.” Trump announced the tariffs in a social media posting on Monday, saying they would be “effective immediately.” China, Brazil, Turkey and Russia are among economies that do business with Tehran.
Iran is sending "quite different" messages to the United States privately than what it is saying publicly, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday amid nationwide protests in the Islamic Republic.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence in Iran amid nationwide protests against the theocratic rule in the country.
In a post on X on Monday, Macron wrote, "I condemn the state violence that indiscriminately targets Iranian women and men who courageously demand respect for their rights. Respect for fundamental freedoms is a universal requirement, and we stand alongside those who defend them."
I condemn the state violence that indiscriminately targets Iranian women and men who courageously demand respect for their rights.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 12, 2026
Respect for fundamental freedoms is a universal requirement, and we stand alongside those who defend them.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, country's foreign minister and other top government officials participated in pro-regime rallies being held in Tehran on Monday, according to Islamic Republic's state media.
"Iranian people should remain strong and present. Their presence encourages us," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, according to Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has banned all diplomatic staff and any other representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran from all European Parliament premises, she said on social media X on Monday.
It cannot be business as usual.
— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) January 12, 2026
As the brave people of Iran continue to stand up for their rights and their liberty, today I have taken the decision to ban all diplomatic staff and any other representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran from all European Parliament premises.…
Pro-government rallies took place across Iran on Monday as officials in the country said that anti-government protests are “foreign-backed riots.”
Demonstrators on Monday raised Iran's flag and chanted slogans in support of the President Masoud Pezeshkian's administration, CNN reported.
Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with marchers demonstrating in support of the Iranian people, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver.
The U-Haul truck, with a window and side mirrors shattered, was stopped several blocks away and surrounded by police cars. ABC7 news helicopter footage showed officers keeping the crowd at bay as demonstrators swarmed the truck, throwing punches at the driver and thrusting flagpoles through the driver's side window.
The driver, a man who was not identified, was detained “pending further investigation,” police said in a statement Sunday evening.
- AP
US President Donald Trump says Iran has proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic, as an ongoing crackdown on demonstrators has led to hundreds of deaths.
Trump said late Sunday that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports mount of increasing deaths and the government continues to arrest protesters.
“The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what's happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.
- AP
Amid unrest in Iran, Canada said it "stands with the brave people of Iran" and strongly condemned the killing of protesters in a statement on social media. “The Iranian regime must halt its horrific repression and intimidation and respect the human rights of its citizens,” Canada’s government was quoted as saying by AP.
Iran’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera that his country is ready for war but also for dialogue, after US President Donald Trump said the US is considering “very strong options” in response to Iran’s crackdown on anti-government protests.
Iran's Minister for Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera that his country is ready for war but also for dialogue, after US President Donald Trump said the US is considering “very strong options” in response to Middle Eastern country's crackdown on anti-government protests.
Iran Protest News Today Live Updates: Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Baghaei says communication line with US special envoy remains open in addition to Swiss intermediary.
Iran Protest News Today Live Updates: Iran's foreign minister said on Monday that “the situation has come under total control” after a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in the country. Abbas Araghchi also said that the protests “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for US President Donald Trump to intervene. Araghchi offered no evidence for his statements, which came after activists reported more than 500 people in Iran have been killed during the past two weeks of protests — the vast majority of them demonstrators. Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.
- AP
President Donald Trump said the US may meet Iranian officials and was in contact with the opposition, as he weighed a range of strong responses including military options to escalating unrest posing one of the biggest challenges to clerical rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution
Trump said Iran called to negotiate its nuclear programme, which Israel and the US bombed in a 12-day war in June. Trump has warned Iran's leaders that the United States would attack if security forces open fire on protesters.
US-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 people arrested.
_AP
Iran's internet blackout has been ongoing for at least 84 hours, with connectivity to the outside world at just 1% of ordinary levels, according to NetBlocks.
The nationwide shutdown has made it difficult to understand the full extent of the anti-government protests and casualties, with reports of violent crackdowns and hundreds of protesters killed.
The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary group that's an auxiliary arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's powerful military wing. Formed after the 1979 Islamic revolution, its main role is to prop up Iran's theocracy and enforce Islamic morality among the public.
Who are the Basij?
The Basij recruits members from rural and urban areas, often from poorer, more conservative backgrounds. They're under the IRGC's command, which is controlled by Iran's supreme leader. Their duties include spreading state ideology, enforcing Islamic rules, and suppressing dissent.
As CNN's Helen Regan reports, the Basij has been instrumental in violently quashing waves of dissent for decades, including during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war and recent anti-government protests.
The death toll in Iran has risen, according to a US-based rights group that has been tracking casualty numbers amid widespread anti-regime protests in the country.
At least 544 people have been killed during the demonstrations over the past 15 days, including eight children, according to an update from the Human Rights Activist New Agency (HRANA), the news service of the organisation Human Rights Activists in Iran.
More than 10,681 individuals have also been transferred to prisons following arrest, the agency reported.
Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with marchers demonstrating in support of the Iranian people, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver.
The U-Haul truck, with a window and side mirrors shattered, was stopped several blocks away and surrounded by police cars.
ABC7 news helicopter footage showed officers keeping the crowd at bay as demonstrators swarmed the truck, throwing punches at the driver and thrusting flagpoles through the driver's side window.
📢🇮🇷🇺🇸 JUST NOW: U-Haul Truck with Anti-Regime Sign hits multiple Pahlavi Protestors in Los Angeles, California
— Ryan Rozbiani (@RyanRozbiani) January 12, 2026
Black sign on the U-Haul: "NO SHAH. NO REGIME. USA: DON'T REPEAT 1955. NO MULLAH."
The Yellow torn sign: "Bushehr to Kermanshah", provinces in Iran
This is Very ODD pic.twitter.com/SK7rG1k9Ko
Protesters participate in a demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Protesters participate in a demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
The Iranian government’s crackdown on nationwide protests has killed at least 538 people and even more are feared dead, activists said on Sunday as Tehran issued warnings that US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America deploys force to protect demonstrators.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he is considering a range of responses to the unrest in Iran, including possible military action, as protests continue across the country and reports of rising deaths and arrests emerge, Reuters reported.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the US was looking at “strong options” in response to the situation in Iran, where demonstrations have entered their third week. He has repeatedly warned that Washington could intervene if force is used against protesters.
Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with marchers demonstrating in support of the Iranian people, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver.
The U-Haul truck, with a window and side mirrors shattered, was stopped several blocks away and surrounded by police cars. ABC7 news helicopter footage showed officers keeping the crowd at bay as demonstrators swarmed the truck, throwing punches at the driver and thrusting flagpoles through the driver's side window.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has posted a cartoon on X depicting US President Donald Trump as a crumbling ancient Egyptian-style sarcophagus, with a message saying "this one too will be overthrown".
The image shows Trump inside a burial tomb adorned with hieroglyphics, with the US flag and Great Seal carved on the coffin, which is cracking and crumbling. The post references historical figures like Pharaoh and Nimrod, warning that arrogant leaders are often overthrown at the height of their power.
آن بابایی که با نخوت و غرور نشسته آنجا راجع به همهی دنیا قضاوت میکند، او هم بداند که معمولاً مستبدّین و مستکبران عالم، از قبیل فرعون و نمرود و رضاخان و محمّدرضا و امثال اینها، وقتی که در اوج غرور بودند سرنگون شدند،
— KHAMENEI.IR | فارسی (@Khamenei_fa) January 11, 2026
این هم سرنگون خواهد شد.#_ pic.twitter.com/hxzJVQQOiL
President Donald Trump said Sunday that his administration is monitoring the deadly protests in Iran and is continuing to weigh potential military options.
“There seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed. These are violent, if you call them leaders. I don’t know if their leaders are just they rule through violence, but we’re looking at it very seriously,” Trump told reporters.
“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options. We’ll make it determination.”
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he plans to speak with billionaire Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran, where authorities have shut down services amid ongoing anti-government protests.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump was asked whether he would engage with Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, which has previously been used in Iran. “He’s very good at that kind of thing. He’s got a very good company,” Trump said, according to Reuters.
US President Donald Trump revealed that Iran's leaders reached out to negotiate, saying "They called yesterday, Iran called to negotiate" and added that they seem "tired of being beat up by the United States". This comes as Iran faces intense protests, with over 500 killed, and the US considering intervention options, including military strikes and sanctions.
-CNN
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