Wounded January protester killed before his family, sources say

Key Points:

• Zarei, a 27-year-old protester who lost sight in one eye during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, was sentenced to death by Tehran Revolutionary Court for charges including “corruption on Earth” and propaganda against the establishment; he was arrested after returning from Germany and is currently imprisoned in Qezel Hesar Prison.
• Security forces violently suppressed recent protests in Gachsaran and Ahvaz over alleged discriminatory hiring practices at local industrial projects, with police opening fire and injuring multiple protesters demanding transparency and priority for local workers.
• Iran’s IRGC Unit 4000, led by Brigadier General Rahman Moghaddam (previously reported dead but now confirmed alive), is reportedly planning maritime attacks in East Asia, targeting critical shipping routes and ports in Indonesia and China, involving recruits from Thailand and Indonesia.
• In Isfahan, 16 protesters related to the January 2026 uprising have received harsh sentences including 10 death penalties amid allegations of torture, forced confessions, and denial of legal representation; exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi condemned the verdicts as part of an intensifying government crackdown.
• Investigations reveal that security forces used urban warfare tactics similar to those in Syria during the January 2026 crackdown across Tehran province, employing snipers, live ammunition from elevated positions, power cuts, and coordinated operational zones, with former Guards member Abbas Rasoulifar playing a key role in directing forces.