Iran protests death toll tops 3K as internet blackout drags on

Shafaq News– Tehran

More than 3,000 people have been killed in Iran’s ongoing protests, while nationwide internet access remains largely cut, with only minimal improvement after weeks of near-total disruption, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Founded in 2009 by Iranian human rights advocates, HRANA reported 3,090 confirmed fatalities as of Saturday, with 3,882 additional deaths still under review. It also documented at least 2,055 serious injuries and 22,123 arrests across the country.

Day 20 of protests in Iran: 3,090 confirmed deaths, 3,882 cases under review, 2,055 severely injured, and 22,123 arrests, amid a nationwide internet shutdown now in its second week.#IranProtestsCheck out HRANA’s full report:https://t.co/Wd9xnIXG2c pic.twitter.com/qwpDy8urDd

— HRANA English (@HRANA_English) January 16, 2026

The group said internet restrictions imposed on January 8 have continued for nearly 20 days, totaling more than 190 hours of severe outages. Fixed-line and mobile services, it added, remain mostly inaccessible in many areas, blocking messaging apps, internet calls, news platforms, and public information. The blackout has also disrupted online banking and government services.

Internet monitoring group NetBlocks, meanwhile, reported only marginal recovery, estimating connectivity at about 2% of normal levels after nearly 200 hours of disruption.

⚠️ Update: Metrics show a very slight rise in internet connectivity in #Iran this morning after the 200 hour mark. However, overall connectivity remains at ~2% of ordinary levels and there is no indication of a significant return. pic.twitter.com/evVey3NMjp

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) January 17, 2026

The unrest began on December 28 after the Iranian rial fell to about 1.45 million per US dollar, fueling sharp food price increases and inflation. Iranian authorities have acknowledged roughly 2,000 deaths. Iranian officials have repeatedly accused the United States and Israel of seeking to destabilize the country, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserting that protests began peacefully and within constitutional bounds before turning violent following what he described as the “infiltration of armed groups.”

Read more: Iran’s protests between economic crisis and political contestation