Sunday, January 11, 2026, marked the fifteenth consecutive day of the nationwide uprising against the religious dictatorship in Iran. Despite a suffocating internet blackout and a brutal crackdown by security forces, the momentum of the protests has not waned. On the contrary, reports from the ground indicate that the regime’s grip on power is slipping in key areas, as the fear that once held the population in check continues to dissipate.
Cracks in the Apparatus of Suppression
In a significant development in Tehran, the regime’s security apparatus showed visible signs of collapse. In the Sadeghiyeh district, heavily armed security forces attempted to quell a demonstration but were met with fierce, unified resistance from the protesters. Unable to contain the crowd, the forces were compelled to flee the scene, abandoning their positions. In the aftermath of the retreat, protesters destroyed the vehicles left behind by the suppression units. These events in the capital suggest that the regime’s machinery of repression is becoming increasingly ineffective when confronted with the collective will of the people.
January 11—Tehran, Iran
The regime's security forces tried to quell demonstrations in Sadeghiyeh but were faced with the resistance of the protesters and had to flee the scene. In response, the protesters destroyed their cars.
The regime's apparatus of repression is falling… pic.twitter.com/AYihRSSILO— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 11, 2026
Meanwhile, in Kermanshah, western Iran, the resistance shifted from defensive measures to offensive action against the regime’s machinery of terror. Protesters set fire to a facility belonging to the regime’s repressive forces, a site specifically tasked with coordinating attacks on demonstrators.
Nationwide Solidarity and Strikes
While street clashes continued into the night, the commercial heart of several major cities remained silent during the day, a powerful tactic of civil disobedience. In the southern city of Shiraz and the western city of Shahrekord, merchants and shopkeepers refused to open their doors, effectively paralyzing the local bazaars.
January 11 — Shahr‑e Kord, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province
A full strike by merchants and shopkeepers has shut down the city’s bazaar today, expressing solidarity with the ongoing nationwide protests #IranProtests #IranRevolution #FreeIran2026 pic.twitter.com/qm1KTkuGo0— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 11, 2026
This shutdown acts as a critical indicator of the movement’s depth; despite the heavy economic toll of the past two weeks and intense pressure from security agents to force businesses open, the middle class remains steadfast in its support for the protests. The strikes in Shahrekord, the capital of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, were explicitly declared as an expression of solidarity with the ongoing nationwide uprising.
The Regime’s Desperation: Digital Warfare and Lethal Force
As the regime struggles to regain control of the streets, it has escalated its war on information. According to a report by Forbes, the Iranian regime has deployed military jammers to block Starlink satellite internet signals. This move, described as a “game-changer,” represents a desperate attempt to eliminate “Plan-B connectivity” for activists. Simultaneously, NetBlocks has confirmed that the general internet shutdown has entered its fourth day, with connectivity to the outside world hovering at a staggering 1% of ordinary levels.
⚠️ Update: #Iran's internet shutdown is entering its fourth day with connectivity to the outside world remains at just 1% of ordinary levels; at 72 hours, diminished telecoms continue to impact the public's ability to access information and communicate with loved ones ⏱️ pic.twitter.com/UOGSVMoZJj
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) January 11, 2026
On the ground, the regime’s tactics have remained ruthless. In Abdanan, western Iran, security forces attacked a funeral ceremony for a 16-year-old youth recently killed by the regime. Rather than respecting the grieving family, forces assaulted the mourners, further fueling public anger.
The human cost of this uprising continues to rise. The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) released the names of 10 additional martyrs on Sunday. Among them was Alireza Seidi, a 16-year-old killed in Tehran on January 9. The PMOI report notes that most of the newly identified martyrs were shot in the head, indicating a deliberate “shoot-to-kill” policy authorized by the regime’s leadership.
Call for Accountability and International Action
Facing this brutality, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), issued a stern warning to the regime’s officials. Responding to rhetoric from the judiciary branding protesters as “enemies of God,” Mrs. Rajavi stated that the leadership should be under “no illusion.”
“They cannot escape public accountability,” Mrs. Rajavi said. “A future democratic Iran will bring to justice those responsible for grave crimes, individuals whose actions have resulted in the bloodshed of countless Iranians.”
In the midst of a popular uprising in Iran, while a large number of young people have been killed or wounded and thousands arrested by the IRGC and other repressive forces of the regime, in the name of the Iranian people and their Resistance, I call on all governments to… pic.twitter.com/yQRiOgkEjn
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) January 11, 2026
Mrs. Rajavi also directed a specific call to action to the international community, urging European governments to move beyond condemnation and take three decisive steps: designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity, shut down the regime’s embassies, and expel its agents from European soil.