January 4, 2026
Jerusalem Post  – At least 15 protesters and one member of security forces have been killed during the seven-day nationwide protests in Iran, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), although true numbers coming out of the country have been hard to verify.

The protests spread into their seventh day on Saturday, with demonstrations in as many as 70 cities and towns across Iran. The protests originally began last Sunday when Tehran’s bazaaris shut their shops and took to the streets over the country’s dire economic crisis.

Saturday also saw the first response from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who stated, “Protesting is legitimate, but protesting is different from rioting. We talk with protesters. The officials must talk with the protesters.

But there’s no point in talking with a rioter. Rioters must be put in their place.
“We will not give in to the enemy,” he stated.