Shafaq News– Tehran

Iranian authorities on Saturday urged citizens to join nationwide demonstrations on January 12, as the country faces widespread unrest.

Iran’s state broadcaster reported that the Islamic Development Coordination Council encouraged people across the country to gather in public squares to denounce what it described as terrorist acts carried out by agents of the United States and Israel.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for protesters in a post on X, stating that “the US stands ready to help.” He had previously warned that Washington could take military action if Iranian authorities used lethal force against demonstrators.

Protests that began in Iran in late December 2025 continue to expand across multiple provinces. Demonstrations initially emerged in Tehran, driven by the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial —currently exceeding 145,000 per US dollar— and its effect on wholesale and retail prices, before spreading to broader political demands. In several cities, protests have escalated into confrontations with security forces.

Iranian authorities have not released official casualty or arrest figures. While official numbers remain undisclosed, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) documented demonstrations at nearly 300 locations across 111 cities in all 31 provinces, reporting at least 50 deaths, including police officers, and over 2,200 arrests.

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