Reactions to the 2025–2026 Iranian protests
Iranian officials and institutions, both from the Islamic Republic and the opposition, as well as foreign governments, international organisations, and public figures, issued varied responses to the 2025–2026 Iranian protests. The demonstrations followed by a nationwide internet shutdown and a violent security crackdown. Human rights organisations and media outlets reported nationwide massacre of protesters.
Iranian state authorities defended the security response and portrayed the unrest as "violent" or "foreign-backed", In contrast, opposition figures and activists accused the government of ordering or carrying out mass killings of demonstrators. As of 25 February 2026, estimates of the number of protesters killed vary widely with figures reported between 3,000 and 36,500 killed, making them some of the largest massacres in modern Iranian history.
Foreign governments and international organisations, particularly in Western countries, condemned the reported use of live ammunition and the high number of fatalities. Several called for accountability and independent international investigations into the violence and warned of potential diplomatic or economic consequences. The United Nations discussed the situation in emergency meetings and human rights forums, Civil society groups, Iranian diaspora communities, and public figures around the world also organized demonstrations and urged stronger international responses in response to the mass killings.
Following the protests that began on 14 January, the Iranian regime declared it would arrest anyone who had been on the streets on criminal charges. The Iranian penal system also declared they would create a database of all past and future possible crimes of protestors and their family members. Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei criticized President President Trump for comments regarding the protests, describing him as "a criminal" and "inexperienced", accusing him of interfering in Iran's affairs. while Trump has called Khamenei "a sick criminal". The Iranian government shut down the reformist newspaper Ham-Mihan and threatened athletes and public figures against publicly supporting the demonstrations.
The government imposed extensive security measures in major cities, including machine guns, tanks, drones, a bot army, snipers, and checkpoints in Iranian cities, with soldiers raiding houses and searching door to door in order to arrest protestors. According to several reports, a member of the Iranian armed forces was sentenced to death after refusing orders to fire on civilians.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that U.S. authorities had tracked Iranian officials transferring funds abroad, which he interpreted as an indication that some were preparing to leave the country. Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi criticized the regime’s response to the protests, describing it as a campaign of genocidal repression against Iranians. Khamenei's IRGC commander has called for war, calling the Iranian people "our atom bomb". Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that "war with Iran will be long and extend throughout the region." Iranian regime-aligned Wikipedia editors have also attempted at revising Wikipedia pages to delete text around the regime massacres conducted by it.
On 19 January, FARAJA General Ahmed Radan gave a 3 day ultimatum to everyone involved in any way in the protests, telling them to give up themselves to the police.
Tehran Stock Exchange lost 8000 billion toman in total market value two times. Merchants received allowances 20 minutes of limited internet visiting times at the hall of Tehran chamber of commerce.
The Chinese have sent 16 military cargo aircraft to aid the government.
On 27 January, Middle East Eye reported that the US is considering strikes on the Iranian regime and military as soon as this week. That same day, government deputy of digital economy was fired for criticizing class based internet domain access.
That same day Trump declared a second armada had sent to Iran. He has threatened the Iranian regime that next round of attack would be much worse like with Venezuela and cause "major destruction", RFERL /RadioFarda has described Iranian armed forces as "Practically Naked", President's spokeswoman Mohajerani has stated that Iran will defend but won't start a war. Iran's rial, fell to its lowest record 1.5 million to $1. LeMonde has described the effects of regime massacres in Iran as collective shock. IRGC General Abdulrahim Moussavi of Joint Chief of Staff has threatened without IRGC there will no longer be name for an Iran.
On 27 January, the Iranian regime relayed emergency executive powers to provinces for purposes of government continuity and to accelerate the import of basic commodities.
On 28 January, the Iranian regime partially restored internet against the threat of US military intervention. It also started apprehending doctors, one sentenced to death.
Ali Shamkhani threatened "unprecedented response" that they would declare war and preemptive full attack against United States and Israel.
According to Time, the massacre is equivalent to the murder of 33,000 Jews in Babyn Yar during the Holocaust.
Meta started hiding Instagram followed users for Iranians. List of offsprings of Iranian regime officials abroad was posted online on January 28th.
The Iranian regime embezzled families of arrested protestors hundreds of millions of tomans for their release.
On January 30th Iraqchi called 6 foreign ministries of Muslim countries Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, Pakistan, Oman, and Turkey and went to Turkey to visit FM Hakan Fidan and President Erdogan.
The New York Times wrote "Iran enjoys diplomatic cover from Moscow and Beijing , The EU condemns but lacks further leverage. Arab leaders prefer a weakened Iran that brutalises its own people to a liberated Iran that inspires imitation. Campus activists and global do-gooders who profess deep concern for Palestinian lives but show little interest in Iranian ones. It's left to the United States to impose meaningful consequences on the Iranian regime for one of the worst atrocities of this century."
After the massacre, the Iranian regime sent a public text stating that motorcycle licenses would now be issued for women.