A recent wave of anti-government protests in Iran, which intensified in late December 2025 and continued into January 2026, has reportedly resulted in a grim death toll. While Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) verified 3,428 deaths, it cautioned that the actual number could be several times higher, with some estimates placing the death toll at over 5,000 and potentially as high as 20,000, largely due to a severe internet blackout hindering independent verification. The Associated Press also cited activists reporting at least 3,090 deaths. Concurrently, Iran has been experiencing a near-total internet shutdown since January 8, 2026, a tactic previously employed during the November 2019 protests to suppress communication and conceal the extent of the government's crackdown. This digital blackout has significantly hampered citizens' ability to share information and for the international community to ascertain the full scale of the repression. Amidst the unrest, a senior hardline cleric, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, publicly called for the death penalty for detained demonstrators, describing them as "Trump's soldiers" and threatening former US President Donald Trump with "hard revenge from the system." This inflammatory rhetoric underscores the deep anger within the Iranian authorities in response to the protests that have challenged the Islamic Republic's leadership. While the protests, initially fueled by economic grievances, have reportedly begun to ease, particularly after the intensive government crackdown and communication blackout, international human rights organizations like Amnesty International have condemned the excessive and lethal force used against protesters. The unfolding situation remains a significant concern globally, highlighting severe human rights violations and heightened geopolitical tensions.