Grave concerns after one month of anti-government unrest in Iran

It's been a month since one of Iran's deadliest periods of anti-government unrest in the history of the Islamic Republic. While mass protests have subsided amid a crackdown by security forces, a US-based human rights group has confirmed the deaths of more than 6,000 people, warning the total could stand at more than 20,000. Iran's official death toll is just over 3,000. There are also grave concerns for the tens of thousands who have been arrested. This story has been produced in collaboration with SBS Persian.

Iranian protesters block a street and set a fire during a demonstration in Shiraz, Iran, on January 9, 2026 Source: ABACA / Middle East Images/ABACA/PA