Events document crackdowns attributed to the IRGC, Basij, and allied security forces. Death tolls use conservative verified figures where available; higher estimates are described in the text with attribution.
2026
HRANA publishes verified death toll (Crimson Winter report)
Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) published its consolidated report covering the first fifty days of the December 2025–January 2026 protests. The verified minimum record documents 7,007 fatalities, including 6,488 protesters and 236 children, with thousands of additional cases still under review. Lethal force during the crackdown is widely attributed to the IRGC, Basij, and police (FARAJA) units.
Iran International documents 6,634 protest-related deaths
Iran International reported an independently compiled list of 6,634 protest-related deaths with names, cities, and circumstances where available—far exceeding the Iranian government's partial official list. Reporting attributes the majority of killings during the January peak to coordinated IRGC and Basij operations.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei publicly acknowledged that thousands had died during the protests. Independent monitors continued to document lethal force by IRGC, Basij, and security forces during the prior week's crackdown; verified NGO totals remained substantially higher than official statements.
Iran International investigation: mass killings on 8–9 January
Iran International concluded a multi-stage investigation attributing mass killings on 8–9 January 2026 largely to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij, describing operations as organized and ordered through state security structures. The report cited at least 12,000 civilian deaths based on government sources, medical staff, and field reporting. (Higher unverified estimates exist in media; this entry uses the figure stated in that investigation.)
Amnesty International reported a coordinated nationwide escalation in unlawful lethal force against protesters and bystanders from the evening of 8 January 2026, involving the IRGC (including Basij), FARAJA police forces, and plainclothes agents. Evidence included analysis of dozens of videos and witness accounts of shots to head and torso.
Medical workers and rights groups reported IRGC and security forces entering hospitals to arrest or attack wounded protesters, including incidents at Sina Hospital in Tehran and Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam. Physicians described direct shots to heads and chests during the broader crackdown.
January 8–9 nationwide lethal crackdown (IRGC / Basij)
The deadliest phase of the 2025–26 protests: security forces—including IRGC and Basij units—used live ammunition, shotguns, snipers, and machine guns against demonstrations in cities nationwide. HRANA and other monitors later verified thousands of deaths concentrated in this period; Iran International and UK government briefings attribute primary responsibility to IRGC-led operations.
Authorities imposed a near-total internet blackout that restricted documentation of killings and arrests. Rights groups noted the blackout slowed verification of deaths carried out by IRGC and security forces during ongoing protests.
During protests in Malekshahi (Ilam province), witnesses and video evidence documented gunfire from security forces. Rights monitors counted multiple deaths in this period as protests spread beyond Tehran.
Early protest deaths (Kuhdasht, Fuladshahr, Marvdasht, Qom)
By the fourth day of the December 2025 protests, rights groups documented multiple protesters killed, including deaths in Kuhdasht, Fuladshahr, Marvdasht, and Qom, as security forces—including Basij and police—confronted demonstrations over economic conditions.
Protests began peacefully following shop closures in Tehran linked to economic distress, then spread nationwide. Subsequent days saw escalating use of force by IRGC, Basij, and security forces.
Security forces—including IRGC-linked units—opened fire on worshippers and protesters outside the Great Mosalla of Zahedan, killing dozens. The event became one of the deadliest single days of the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising.
Basij and security forces stormed Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, attacking students with tear gas and beatings amid nationwide Woman, Life, Freedom protests.
Heavy deployments of IRGC and Basij in Kurdistan province towns—including Sanandaj and Mahabad—accompanied reports of lethal force against protesters during the Mahsa Amini uprising.
During nationwide protests over fuel price increases, security forces—including the IRGC—used lethal force on 16–17 November 2019. Human rights groups identified hundreds of victims by name; Reuters and other investigations estimated up to 1,500 deaths, with the majority on these two days.
Sudden fuel price hikes sparked protests across Iran that were met with internet shutdowns and force by the IRGC, Basij, and police. The crackdown became one of the deadliest prior to 2022.
During the Green Movement after the disputed 2009 election, Basij and IRGC-linked forces attacked demonstrators on Ashura 2009 in Tehran and other cities, killing several protesters and deepening the post-election crisis.
Protests in Sistan and Baluchestan province faced violent suppression by security forces; lethal force by IRGC and Basij units was reported in the lead-up to the November Zahedan massacre.
Within days of Mahsa Amini's death, security forces and Basij units used lethal force against protesters in Tehran and other cities, beginning a wave of killings documented by HRANA and international monitors throughout the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
Death of Mahsa Jina Amini — Woman, Life, Freedom begins
Tehran
Mahsa (Jina) Amini died after detention by morality police in Tehran, triggering nationwide protests. Independent estimates later placed protest-related deaths in 2022–2023 at roughly 500–600, with IRGC, Basij, and police implicated in the crackdown.