UN chief urges restraint as Iran protests escalate amid blackout

Monday 12 January 2026 - 14:50

By: Dakir Madiha

UN chief urges restraint as Iran protests escalate amid blackout

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed shock over reports of violence against protesters in Iran, calling on authorities to exercise maximum restraint as antigovernment demonstrations stretch into their third week. A nationwide internet shutdown, now exceeding 84 hours according to monitoring group NetBlocks, has severely limited information flow amid intensifying clashes. Guterres's spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, emphasized that all Iranians must voice grievances peacefully without fear, underscoring the need to uphold international rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.

Casualty figures remain contested and hard to verify due to communication blackouts. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported at least 544 deaths on Sunday, including 496 protesters and 48 security personnel, alongside over 10,600 arrests. Norway's Iran Human Rights tallied 192 fatalities, while state-aligned Tasnim News Agency cited 109 security force deaths without protester numbers. Some sources, including Iran International, suggest the true toll from crackdowns on January 8 and 9 alone could surpass 2,000.

Protests ignited on December 28 at Tehran's Grand Bazaar over the Iranian rial's collapse, now trading at over 1.4 million to the dollar. Demands have since broadened from economic woes to political calls, including ousting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, spreading to at least 186 cities across all 31 provinces per HRANA data.

Tehran fired back with an urgent letter to the UN Security Council, accusing the United States of meddling and stoking violence under the guise of human rights. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani argued no international law permits such interference. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blamed President Donald Trump's intervention warnings for emboldening terrorists targeting both crowds and forces. Iran's Supreme National Security Council vowed no mercy for what it labels rioters and vandals.

The UN's Iran fact-finding mission, established in 2022, reported credible information that security forces received orders to confront protesters without restraint, demanding an immediate end to the crackdown. Internationally, Trump said he would discuss Starlink satellite internet access for demonstrators with Elon Musk, though Iranian military-grade jammers have disrupted over 80 percent of signals. Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul declared Tehran's leaders have lost legitimacy by severing internet, planning to raise it with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Iranian state TV aired footage of calm streets in various cities, notably omitting Tehran and Mashhad.