- Iran protests over economy kill two more.
- Death toll hits at least ten now.
- Violence continues amid ailing Islamic Republic economy.
The further fatalities came after US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Friday that the US "will come to their rescue" if Tehran "violently kills peaceful protesters." Trump's reflections incontinently provoked a furious response from theocracy authorities, who hovered to strike American colors in the Middle East, though it's yet unclear how and if he'll step by.
The week-long demurrers have grown to be the largest in Iran since 2022, when wide screams were sparked by the death of 22- year-old Mahsa Amini in police detention. The demonstrations, still, have n't yet reached the same position of intensity and compass as those that followed Amini's death. Amini was arrested for refusing to wear her headscarf, or hijab, to the satisfaction of the authorities.
A new degree of brutality was involved in the deaths that passed overnight and into Saturday. A joe was killed when a grenade exploded in Qom, the position of the nation's main Shiite seminaries, according to the state- possessed IRAN daily. It cited security sources who claimed the man used the grenade to target residents of the megacity, which is located around 130 kilometers( 80 long hauls) south of Tehran.
Videos from Qom that were posted online allegedly showed burning in the road during the night.
About 370 kilometers( 230 long hauls) southwest of Tehran, near the city of Harsin, the alternate death passed. According to the publication, a pistol and knife attack in the town of Kermanshah province claimed the life of a member of the Basij, the all-volunteer branch of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, protests have spread to more than 100 locations throughout 22 of Iran's 31 provinces.
Under reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's civilian government has been attempting to convey that it wants to engage in dialogue with demonstrators. Pezeshkian has admitted that there isn't much he can do, though, given the sharp decline in the value of the Iranian rial, which currently costs about 1.4 million rials. The first protests were triggered by that.
Chants against Iran's theocracy have also been heard during the rallies, which have their roots in economic concerns. In the months following the conflict with Israel in June, during which the US also targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, Tehran has had little success bolstering its economy.
In an attempt to let the West know that it is still open to possible talks regarding its atomic program in order to lift sanctions, Iran recently declared that it was no longer enriching uranium at any location within the nation. But since Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have cautioned Tehran against reestablishing its nuclear program, those discussions have not yet taken place.
What triggered the latest protests in Iran beyond the currency collapse?
There are no sanctioned statements from individual Venezuelan military leaders regarding the Caracas explosions reported beforehand on January 3, 2026.
Government channels, including the Foreign Ministry and President Nicolás Maduro, issued a unified response condemning contended US" military aggression" and declaring a state of external disturbance with fortified forces rallying.
Venezuelan military spokespersons generally echo presidential directives through state media like VTV, emphasizing" concinnity" without named generals addressing specifics; focus remains on readiness cautions rather than incident details.