Iran Protest Death Toll Tops 3,000 as Clerics Demand Executions

Iranians attend an anti-regime protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026. UGC via APMore than 3,000 people have been killed in Iran’s nationwide protests, rights activists said on Jan. 16, as residents reported no sign of new demonstrations after a sweeping brutal suppression, while Iranian state media said authorities were pressing ahead with fresh arrests and hard-line officials escalated calls for executions of detained protesters.The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had verified 3,090 deaths by the end of the protests’ 20th day, including 2,885 protesters. HRANA said 165 members of government or security forces and 21 non-protesting civilians were also killed, and at least 19 children were among the dead.