On Tuesday, January 13, the nationwide uprising against the clerical regime in Iran entered its 17th consecutive day. Despite the imposition of undeclared martial law, a total internet blackout, and the mobilization of the entire security apparatus, protests have expanded to 207 cities. Reports from the ground indicate that the regime’s tactics have shifted from crowd control to lethal warfare, yet the defiance of the Iranian people—led by the rebellious youth—continues to breach the walls of repression.
The Battle for the Cities: Evacuations and Concrete Walls
In Tehran, the regime’s fear of the student movement has materialized in drastic administrative measures. Authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of University of Tehran dormitories for a period of ten days and shifted exams at Urmia University to online platforms, a transparent attempt to disperse potential centers of organized dissent.
Despite these measures, the capital remained a conflict zone on Monday and Tuesday (January 12 and 13). Clashes were reported in diverse districts including Bahar, Sadeghieh, Nezam Abad, Ponak, Elahiyeh, and Kargar streets. In these areas, protesters confronted the regime’s special units, chanting “Death to Khamenei” and “Disgrace, Disgrace,” refusing to yield the streets to the security forces.
On Monday night, on the sixteenth day of Iran uprising, with wounded bodies and grieving hearts yet with unbreakable resolve, the people of Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Meshkan in Fars Province, Falahieh (Shadegan), and many other cities once again took to the streets.
Hand in hand… pic.twitter.com/YI2j558Txq— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) January 13, 2026
In the provinces, the regime is physically fortifying its positions, signaling a loss of control over urban spaces. In Ahvaz, fearing the expansion of protests, authorities have installed concrete walls in the Naderi district and Abdul-Hamid market, effectively blocking central streets. Similarly, in Dezful, security forces and Basij militia have established checkpoints on every major street, reinforcing them with concrete barriers.
However, in Isfahan, the limits of the regime’s power were laid bare. While snipers were stationed on the rooftops of mosques and schools in the city center to terrorize the population, reports confirm that suburban areas—ranging from Najafabad and Falavarjan to Sepahan Shahr—were effectively under the control of the people. In a show of defiance, youth in Malek Shahr and Se-Rah Simin set fire to regime-affiliated banks and the local sham city council building.
Escalation: Government Buildings Captured and Police Disarmed
The confrontation has moved beyond street protests to direct actions against the regime’s infrastructure of suppression. In a significant development in Quchan, northeast Iran, defiant youth launched a daring offensive, taking over the Governor’s office and setting fire to the local IRGC headquarters.
January 12—Marvdasht, southern Iran
New videos obtained from yesterday's protests shows protesters celebrating after forcing regime security forces to retreat.#IranProtests #IranRevolution pic.twitter.com/3Gjre6nn9D— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 13, 2026
In Babol, northern Iran, protesters turned the tables on security forces who had opened fire on demonstrators. The youth raided Police Stations No. 2 and No. 14 on Salman Farsi Street, successfully disarming the personnel. In Ilam, a notorious IRGC member identified as “Rahimi,” known for his role in killing protesters, was killed during clashes. Elsewhere, in Meshkan (Fars province), a security van was set ablaze, and in Kish, a regime building was targeted.
The Machinery of Death and Extortion
As the regime loses ground, its brutality has intensified. Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, the head of the judiciary, met with the Parliament’s Security Commission to declare protesters “Mohareb” (enemies of God), explicitly stating there would be “no mercy” and ordering expedited trials and executions.
NCRI Statement: Sixteenth Day of #Iran’s Uprising Marked by Clashes Between People, Rebellious Youths, and Regime Forces in Tehran and Kermanshah https://t.co/KQ4tHXwLpm
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 12, 2026
This rhetoric is matched by gruesome realities in the morgues. In Tehran and Karaj, reports indicate that bodies of the martyrs are being piled up in forensic centers, with families summoned to identify their loved ones among the stacks of corpses. In Kahrizak, bodies have been transported in pickup trucks, and authorities are using monitors to display images of the dead to grieving families.
Adding extortion to murder, the regime is reportedly demanding 700 million tomans from families as a “fee” to return the bodies of the slain. Meanwhile, the digital curtain remains drawn; NetBlocks confirmed on January 13 that Iran has been offline for 120 hours, a desperate bid to hide the scale of the massacre.
International Outcry: “Thousands Likely Dead”
Together with other UN experts, I condemn Iran's ongoing internet shutdown—a deliberate attempt to conceal the violence being perpetrated against nationwide demonstrations.https://t.co/wx0vV4Bhpz
The dangerous rhetoric labelling peaceful protesters as 'terrorists,' 'rioters,' or…— Mai Sato (@drmaisato) January 13, 2026
The wall of silence the regime attempted to build is crumbling under international scrutiny. Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, issued a stark warning, noting that while the exact toll is unknown due to the internet shutdown, it is “likely to be in the thousands.” She condemned the use of the death penalty and the labeling of protesters as “terrorists.”
Global leaders are also taking a firmer stance. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the violence is “not a sign of strength, but of weakness” and announced work on further EU sanctions. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof both expressed shock at the violence and solidarity with the “brave men and women” of Iran.
We call on the Iranian leadership to protect its population rather than threaten it. The regime’s violence against its own people is not a sign of strength, but of weakness. It must end immediately. To underscore this message, we are working on further EU sanctions.
— Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz (@bundeskanzler) January 13, 2026
In the United States, members of Congress weighed in on the bravery of the Iranian people. Rep. Judy Chu expressed that she is “in awe” of the Iranians standing up to a “brutal regime,” while Rep. Jimmy Panetta emphasized that the US must stand with those fighting for “self-determination and an accountable government.”
As the uprising enters its third week, the dynamic on the streets suggests that neither concrete walls nor mass killings can stem the tide of a population that has decided the cost of freedom is a price they are willing to pay.