Iran enters a phase of systematic massacres as Khamenei acknowledges thousands of deaths and steps up repression
Mass executions in the midst of insurrection. Between 5 and 15 January 2026, at least 127 prisoners, including three women, were executed by the regime. Reports from several cities indicate that hospitals are under strict security control.
The regime's forces are actively searching for the wounded and martyrs of the uprising in an attempt to identify and arrest members of the resistance. This operation entails a high cost of permanent surveillance.
On 17 and 18 January, young insurgents clashed with repressive forces in Tehran and several other cities across the country. Numerous neighbourhoods in the capital were the scene of violent clashes, accompanied by chants such as ‘Death to the dictator’ and ‘Death to Khamenei’.
- In Khoy, on the night of 17 January, insurgents set fire to the district office and a Bassij centre in response to indiscriminate shooting by regime forces. Two other centres had already been set on fire the previous day.
- In Eslamshahr, young people attacked a police station (‘Ghaemieh’) and disarmed officers who were firing on civilians.
- In Kermanshah province, members of the Gholkhani clan in Aynevand (Sarpol-e Zahab) broke through the cordon of repressive forces and, during an armed confrontation, managed to disarm several of them.
- Violent fighting broke out in Taq-e Bostan (Kermanshah province). In Kermanshah, a Bassij militiaman, Morteza Heshmati, was killed by the population.
Khamenei acknowledges thousands of deaths In a speech delivered on the occasion of Revelation, a religious holiday celebrated as the day Muhammad was chosen as God's messenger, Ali Khamenei explicitly acknowledged ‘several thousand deaths’.
Despite the religious tone of the speech, its content was clearly directed at the repressive forces, the security services and the weakened apparatus of the regime.
By admitting this figure, Khamenei confirms the implementation of his previous order: ‘to put the rioters in their place’. In addition, this speech was conceived as a psychological message of reassurance to the regime's forces, urging them not to hesitate or retreat. Khamenei even quotes a verse from the Quran revealed after a defeat of the Muslims: ‘Do not weaken, do not grieve, do not doubt: you are superior, because you are believers.’
What the regime's officials are saying
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, president of the Assembly, said that thousands of people had died during the demonstrations on 8 and 9 January.
Ahmad Azizi, chairman of the regime's parliamentary national security committee, said that more than 3,700 members of the government forces had been injured during the recent riots and that 2,221 vehicles and equipment belonging to the security forces and Basij militias had been damaged. Ahmad Reza Radan, chief of police, promised to pursue ‘one by one’ the protesters who are still at large, insisting, ‘We will pursue them to the last one.’
Meanwhile, according to the Fars news agency, the CEO of Irancell, the country's second-largest telecommunications operator, was dismissed from his post for refusing to carry out an order to cut off the Internet.
International reactions
More than 300 parliamentarians and political figures from 26 countries have signed a declaration of support for the uprising for a democratic republic in Iran.
14 former European heads of state and government have published an open letter to EU leaders. In it, they express their support for the uprising and Maryam Radjavi's 10-point plan for a democratic future in Iran. By chanting ‘Death to the tyrant, whether the Shah or the Supreme Leader,’ the Iranian people are rejecting all forms of dictatorship, past and present, and demanding true democracy.
The World Economic Forum in Davos has announced that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will not be participating in this year's event. A statement said: ‘The tragic deaths of Iranian civilians in recent weeks make the Iranian government's presence in Davos this year unacceptable.’
Conclusion
Ali Khamenei's speech aims to boost the morale of the troops after the massacres and halt the internal disintegration of the regime. The uprising, although less visible on the streets at the moment, has not been defeated.
The country is living under a form of undeclared martial law:
- Increase in the number of checkpoints
- ·Ban on gatherings of more than three people
- Restrictions on movement
On 8 January, the regime entered a phase of systematic massacres. This wave of repression, even more violent than that of November 2019 (in which 1,500 people were killed), now amounts to a crime against humanity.