HRANA Announces 3,919 Confirmed Deaths and Nearly 25,000 Arrests The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) verified 3,919 protest‑related deaths in Iran as of Jan 18, 2026, up from its earlier figure of 3,308 [1]. HRANA also reported that 24,669 individuals have been detained in the ongoing crackdown [1]. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged that “several thousand” people have died and blamed the United States for the violence [1].

Earlier Reports Show Wide Toll Discrepancies Across Sources Newsweek, covering the situation on Jan 14, 2026, cited HRANA’s count of 2,571 total deaths—including 2,403 protesters, 12 children, and nine civilians—alongside an Iranian official’s claim of roughly 2,000 fatalities [2]. The outlet noted that other media, such as the New York Times, have suggested numbers approaching 3,000, though those figures remain unverified [2]. This range highlights the difficulty of obtaining reliable casualty data amid restricted communications.

Iranian Authorities Frame Protesters as Enemies and Threaten Severe Penalties Iran’s attorney general warned that demonstrators could be charged with “mohareb,” a capital offense denoting “enemies of God” [2]. President Masoud Pezeshkian linked the nation’s hardships to U.S. sanctions and framed attacks on the Supreme Leader as acts of war [1]. The government’s narrative consistently portrays the unrest as foreign‑instigated and justifies harsh legal measures.

U.S. Responses Fluctuate From Threats to Conditional Conciliation Former President Donald Trump threatened military action if Iranian forces continued lethal crackdowns, then later softened his tone by noting Tehran’s cancellation of a planned hanging of over 800 detainees [1]. Both statements illustrate the volatility of U.S. policy toward Iran during the crisis. Independent verification of these developments remains limited, and internet blackouts imposed by Tehran further impede external reporting [2].