Dec 28, 2025 – Protests erupt in Tehran’s bazaars over soaring inflation and quickly spread to more than 100 cities, marking the largest sustained challenge to the regime since the 2022 Mahsa Amini uprising[11].

Early Jan 2026 – Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a televised address warning “the Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of hundreds of thousands and will not back down,” rallying security forces against the demonstrators[6].

Jan 8‑9, 2026 – Exiled heir Reza Pahlavi urges nationwide demonstrations; thousands flood the streets and security forces open fire, producing the deadliest nights of the crackdown, with live‑rounds reported in Karaj for the first time[2][8].

Jan 9, 2026 – Mortuary labels record the date of death for over 100 victims, confirming that Jan 9 is the most lethal night in Tehran as gunfire and screaming echo through the city[3].

Jan 10, 2026 – Surgeon Nima loads a wounded protester into his car’s boot, shows his hospital ID to pass a checkpoint, and then works nonstop for 96 hours without sleep to treat gunshot wounds, later describing the ordeal as “I operate while my eyes burn”[1].

Jan 11, 2026 – Demonstrators report “bodies piled up on each other” inside Tehran hospitals, while HRANA tallies at least 116 protester deaths and 2,638 arrests; U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio states, “Washington supports the Iranian people”[11].

Jan 12, 2026 – A makeshift morgue at Kahrizak holds roughly 250 bodies, families scramble to identify loved ones, and the death toll climbs to about 490 protesters in the first 15 days, according to HRANA and CNN; AP relies on HRANA for casualty figures amid an internet blackout[9†10†13].

Jan 14, 2026 – Video footage from inside the Kahrizak Forensic Medical Centre, filmed on Jan 10, shows nearly 200 bodies and the commentator calls the scene “the apocalypse,” underscoring the scale of the massacre[5].

Jan 15, 2026 – Families in Rasht and Tehran are forced to pay 700 million to 1 billion tomans for the release of their loved ones’ bodies, with some relatives breaking into mortuaries to retrieve remains before authorities can intervene[4].

Jan 17, 2026 – Taxi driver Farzat recounts live‑fire rounds targeting civilians in Karaj on Jan 8‑9, saying “bullets hit the belly and genitals,” while his compatriot’s mother spends seven hours searching morgue bags to find her daughter’s body, later fleeing with the corpse to avoid extortion[8].

Jan 21, 2026 – Leaked photos from Kahrizak allow BBC Verify to identify 326 victims, including 18 women, many labeled “John/Jane Doe,” highlighting the enormity of the loss and the difficulty families face in confirming identities[3].

Jan 26, 2026 – Verified videos reveal mass bodies in Tehranpars hospital mortuary, rooftop snipers in Mashhad, and crowds disabling CCTV cameras, while protests continue in 71 towns despite a near‑total internet blackout, with some footage escaping via SpaceX’s Starlink service[2].

Jan 28, 2026 – Medical volunteers treat wounded protesters clandestinely in private homes as security forces monitor hospitals and arrest doctors, including surgeon Dr Alireza Golchini on “moharebeh” charges; HRANA reports 6 301 killings—including 5 925 protesters—and at least 11 000 serious injuries[1].

Feb 3, 2026 – Thousands gather at Tehran’s Behesht‑e Zahra cemetery to mourn protest victims and security personnel, bringing sweets and flowers while fearing retaliation; hyper‑inflation drives daily price spikes, and many attribute the protests to President Trump’s early‑January promises of support for Iranians opposing the regime[7].