No New Protests in Iran as Hard-Line Cleric Demands Executions

Iran has returned to a tense calm following weeks of nationwide protests that were violently suppressed, leaving thousands dead. The unrest, which began on December 28 over the country’s worsening economy, escalated into demonstrations challenging the authority of the Islamic Republic.

Security forces employed live ammunition, heavy machine guns, and mass arrests to quell the protests, while a nationwide internet blackout cut off communication, preventing protesters from organizing. The crackdown, along with the threat of execution for detained demonstrators , appears to have intimidated many Iranians into staying off the streets.

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a senior hard-line cleric, delivered a fiery sermon on Friday, calling for the death penalty for detained protesters and directly threatening US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He described the demonstrators as agents of foreign powers and urged harsh retribution.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that over 3,000 people have died in the unrest, including hundreds of protesters. Some reports suggest the toll could be significantly higher, potentially reaching tens of thousands , though these figures remain unverified. Iran’s government has reported only around 600 deaths , a figure widely considered an underestimate. Executions of detainees have been threatened, but it is unclear how many have actually been carried out.

Trump, meanwhile, adopted a measured tone, thanking Iranian authorities for allegedly canceling the executions of over 800 detainees. Analysts say his restraint, coupled with warnings from Middle Eastern nations against US military action, may have reduced the prospect of immediate foreign intervention.

Despite the lull in protests within Iran, exiled opposition figures, including Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, continue to call for demonstrations and urge international support. Meanwhile, thousands of Iranians abroad have taken to European streets to voice their dissent against the regime.

The scale of destruction from the protests is extensive, with Iranian authorities reporting damage to hundreds of mosques, prayer halls, hospitals, and emergency vehicles . Kurdish separatist groups in Iraq have also launched attacks on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in response to the crackdown, highlighting the unrest’s potential to spill beyond national borders.

For now, the streets of Tehran have returned to outward normality, but with the internet blackout ongoing and heavy security in place, the potential for renewed unrest remains.