Defiance met with massacre: Iran’s biggest protest wave in generations
ایران اینترنشنال • • world
Key Points:
- Protests in Iran began on December 28 due to soaring inflation, initially met with a measured government response, but after January 8, officials framed the unrest as foreign-backed terrorism, escalating security crackdowns.
- Iranian authorities claim dozens of mosques were deliberately attacked during protests, circulating images of burned religious sites to portray demonstrators as terrorists attacking Islam, a narrative amplified domestically and internationally by pro-government supporters.
- Reports indicate thousands of protesters have been killed—estimated around 12,000—with morgues under tight security and families facing intimidation, forced payments for release of bodies, and pressure to label deceased relatives as Basij militia members.
- The government has imposed strict controls on funerals and burials to prevent public mourning from fueling further
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