What to know about Iran protests as Trump warns the country's leaders
- - What to know about Iran protests as Trump warns the country's leaders
Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY January 11, 2026 at 12:02 PM
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Anti-government demonstrations in Iran have entered their third week as human rights organizations sound the alarm over increasing deaths in a violent crackdown from authorities.
President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene, drawing a defiant response from the Iranian regime's top leaders and further ratcheting up tension between the United States and the Middle Eastern country.
Iranian leaders have accused America and Israel of fomenting the demonstrations, which began in late December over soaring prices and the abrupt collapse of Iran’s national currency.
Several leading human rights and watchdog organizations in recent days condemned growing violence against demonstrators by government forces. The United Nations' independent fact-finding mission in Iran said in a Jan. 10 statement it received reports that security forces were ordered to carry out a “decisive” response without restraint on the anti-government protesters.
Anti-government protests in Iran appeared to accelerate on Jan. 9, sparked by anger over the collapse of the country's currency and a broader sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with Tehran's clerical leaders.
The uptick in unrest also comes as President Donald Trump warned Iran's authorities against killing peaceful protesters, saying Washington "will come to their rescue."See the scenes in Iran, beginning here on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on January 8, 2026. Witnesses told Reuters protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8, however this video's date taken has not been verified.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>Anti-government protests in Iran appeared to accelerate on Jan. 9, sparked by anger over the collapse of the country's currency and a broader sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with Tehran's clerical leaders.
The uptick in unrest also comes as President Donald Trump warned Iran's authorities against killing peaceful protesters, saying Washington "will come to their rescue."See the scenes in Iran, beginning here on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on January 8, 2026. Witnesses told Reuters protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8, however this video's date taken has not been verified.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/SGKGgb7y_BAMlu1VR8SoRQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0yMjAz/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/312483ade4c6c3ddebff4385f6a9f3a1 class=caas-img data-headline="See Iran's anti-government protests, huge crowds, unrest in photos" data-caption="
Anti-government protests in Iran appeared to accelerate on Jan. 9, sparked by anger over the collapse of the country's currency and a broader sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with Tehran's clerical leaders.
The uptick in unrest also comes as President Donald Trump warned Iran's authorities against killing peaceful protesters, saying Washington "will come to their rescue."See the scenes in Iran, beginning here on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on January 8, 2026. Witnesses told Reuters protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8, however this video's date taken has not been verified.
">Anti-government protests in Iran appeared to accelerate on Jan. 9, sparked by anger over the collapse of the country's currency and a broader sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with Tehran's clerical leaders.
The uptick in unrest also comes as President Donald Trump warned Iran's authorities against killing peaceful protesters, saying Washington "will come to their rescue."See the scenes in Iran, beginning here on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on January 8, 2026. Witnesses told Reuters protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8, however this video's date taken has not been verified.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/SGKGgb7y_BAMlu1VR8SoRQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0yMjAz/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/312483ade4c6c3ddebff4385f6a9f3a1 class=caas-img>
1 / 16See Iran's anti-government protests, huge crowds, unrest in photos
Anti-government protests in Iran appeared to accelerate on Jan. 9, sparked by anger over the collapse of the country's currency and a broader sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with Tehran's clerical leaders.
The uptick in unrest also comes as President Donald Trump warned Iran's authorities against killing peaceful protesters, saying Washington "will come to their rescue."See the scenes in Iran, beginning here on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on January 8, 2026. Witnesses told Reuters protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8, however this video's date taken has not been verified.
U.S. officials have held preliminary conversations with Trump about taking military action against the Iranian regime, according to multiple media reports.
The White House did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment.
Here's what to know about the ongoing protests.
Why are Iranians protesting?
Iranians took to the streets in late December as their currency, the rial, suddenly crashed, and inflation reached over 40%. The economic pressure has reignited many longstanding grievances with the Islamic Republic's clerical establishment, marking the most expansive civil unrest in the country in several years.
Demonstrations have reached their peak so far over the weekend, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. On Jan. 10, protests were held in 96 cities across 27 provinces. Shortly before midnight Tehran time on Jan. 11, the group tracked protests in 186 cities across all of the nation's 31 provinces.
Burning debris lies in the middle of a street during unrest in Hamedan, Iran on January 1, 2026. The demonstrations erupted after shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar shut their businesses to protest the sharp fall of Iran's currency and worsening economic conditions, with clashes reported in several provinces and Iranian media and rights groups saying multiple people were killed in the violence, marking the largest protests to hit the Islamic Republic in three years.
In some videos of the demonstrations, protesters can be heard calling for the overthrow of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the return of the exiled son of Iran's last king, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. Iran's last shah, as he is known, was overthrown by Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. His son and heir, also Reza Pahlavi, lives in Virginia.
The protests and violent response are reminiscent of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests that rocked the country in 2022 and 2023, ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini. The 22-year-old woman died while in police custody after being detained for allegedly violating dress codes.
How many injuries and fatalities have been recorded?
Norway-based organization Iran Human Rights said on Jan. 11 it has confirmed at least 192 protesters have been killed since the start of the demonstrations. The group says unverified reports place the toll in the hundreds to low-thousands, and ongoing internet restrictions make verification methods challenging.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency's latest death toll estimates surpassed 580 people as of Jan. 11, and more than 10,600 people detained by authorities.
Iran has not provided any official figures. A government-imposed internet blackout has cut off much communication with those inside the country since Jan. 8, impeding the flow of information.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran January 3, 2026.How has Trump responded?
Trump has repeatedly warned Iran's leaders against killing protesters and has in recent weeks ramped up his threats.
Trump said on Jan. 2 that the United States would come to the rescue “if Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom.” A week later on Jan. 9, Trump warned Tehran in comments to reporters, “You better not start shooting because we'll start shooting too.”
Most recently on Jan. 10, the president said on social media: "Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!"
President Donald Trump wearing a "happy Trump" pin speaks during a meeting with oil industry executives at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 9, 2026.What do Iranian leaders say?
In his first major address to the nation since the demonstrations erupted, Iran's supreme leader on Jan. 9 said Trump should focus on problems in his own country, without elaborating. Khamenei also accused Iran's protesters of "ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy."
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned Washington against "a miscalculation" in an interview the following day.
"Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) as well as all U.S. bases and ships will be our legitimate target," Qalibaf said, according to Reuters reports.
Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY; Reuters.
Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected] and on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to know about Iran protests and Trump
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