With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. But the death toll in the protests has grown, while 2,600 others have been detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Meanwhile, Iran's parliament speaker warned the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America strikes the Islamic Republic, as threatened by President Donald Trump. Trump offered support for the protesters, saying on social media that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. In Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, some 725 kilometers (450 miles) northeast of Tehran, footage purported to show protesters confronting security forces.

Source: ABC News January 11, 2026 15:36 UTC