The head of the FARAJA Special Forces Units said eight members were killed by ‘swarms of violent rioters’ armed with guns and other weapons
Over 100 members of the Iranian security forces have been killed by violent, foreign-backed rioters since the start of the unrest across the country late last month, local media reports said on 11 January.
According to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the number stands at 109 security personnel.
This includes eight members of Iran’s FARAJA Special Forces Units.
“The servicemen were martyred after swarms of violent rioters attacked them by firing bullets and hitting the law enforcement forces with various weapons,” said the commander of the special forces General Masoud Mosaddeq.
In Isfahan alone, 30 members of the security forces were killed during the latest riots.
Qodratollah Mohammadi, the chief of the Tehran Fire Department, said “armed rioters have set 26 houses ablaze, and launched arson attacks on 34 mosques, 40 banks, 15 shopping centers, 13 government buildings, and 50 vehicles, including public service cars.”
🚨🇮🇷⚡️ – Iranian state-affiliated media reports that since nationwide protests began in Iran, rioters have damaged or vandalised nearly 25 mosques and religious institutions. pic.twitter.com/6dO9c6v3Xe
— Pakistan OSINT 🇵🇰 🔎 🛰️ ⚔️ (@Pak_Osint) January 10, 2026
Testimonies from Iranian citizens shown on local media revealed how armed rioters violently attacked civilians. Detained rioters also gave testimonies to authorities about how they were instructed by handlers to shoot people in the head in order to pin blame on security forces, state broadcaster IRIB reported.
Western-based rights groups say dozens of protesters were shot dead by security forces. HRANA, the US-based media arm of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) group, funded by the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED), said 116 protesters have been killed.
“We are working hard to solve the problems of the people who are protesting; we’re working with unions and economic authorities to solve their problems,” said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday.
Iranian president:
We are working hard to solve the problems of the people who have protests, we’re working with unions and economical authorities to solve their problems.
But protests are different from riots.
Those who are killing people with weapons, those are burning the… pic.twitter.com/kxJVv5LeWQ
— Arya – آریا (@AryJeay) January 11, 2026
“But protests are different from riots. Those who are killing people with weapons, burning the bazaars, burning the police alive … these are not Iranians,” he went on to say, urging citizens to prevent these elements from infiltrating protests.
The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, urged “decisive action” against all rioters.
“The Judiciary must take decisive action against those who create insecurity, kill people, and vandalize public properties in the riots that have engulfed a number of cities in Iran in recent days. It is necessary to draw a distinction between protests and riots,” he told IRIB.
At least 200 rioters and riot leaders have been arrested in recent days. The Iranian government has also imposed a nationwide internet blackout as unrest spreads, cutting communications across the country amid vows to deal decisively with the unrest.
According to local reports, videos were found on the phones of some protesters, including instructional messages from what appeared to be foreign intelligence. The messages guide protesters on how to act if caught by security forces, while urging young anti-government protesters to put pictures of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as their wallpaper on their phones in order to disguise themselves as pro-Islamic Republic.
❗️🇮🇷| Phones from arrested rioters had a video of a woman giving instructions on how they should act when caught
The woman—clearly a foreign intelligent agent—tell the rioters in the video:
• If you’ve been arrested, don’t think it’s the end of the line yet. You still have… pic.twitter.com/Mx2U1ohN6D
— Arya – آریا (@AryJeay) January 3, 2026
The protests erupted in late December 2025 following a sharp collapse in Iran’s currency, driven by years of suffocating US and western sanctions compounded by soaring inflation, economic mismanagement, and corruption. Shortly after they began, the protests were co-opted by violent elements, leading to deaths and widespread destruction, alongside an intense global social media campaign calling for the return of exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, who has openly urged people to support the movement.
Iran's exiled 'crown prince' Reza Pahlavi again begs for US intervention after calling on his supporters to take to the streets:
——
"Mr. President, this is an urgent and immediate call for your attention, support, and action. Last night you saw the millions of brave Iranians in… pic.twitter.com/VNUaB3bFvJ— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) January 9, 2026
Manufacturing dissent: How Israel manipulates Iran’s Twittersphere
——
A new independent investigation by Social Forensics, funded by the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), has exposed an extensive Israeli government-linked network of fake Twitter accounts built to dominate… pic.twitter.com/ulZDexzUpL— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) October 5, 2025
Since the protests began, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to attack the Islamic Republic.
The Mossad also publicly urged Iranians to take to the streets, saying, “We are with you.”
Netanyahu visited the US recently and discussed potential new strikes on the Islamic Republic with Trump. During a press conference, the US president said he would potentially support a new Israeli attack.
US, Israel Export the ‘Iranian Threat’ Campaign to Latin America
“Trump administration officials have had preliminary discussions about how to carry out an attack on Iran if needed to follow through on Trump’s threats, including what sites might be targeted,” anonymous US officials told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on 10 January.
“One option being discussed is a large-scale aerial strike on multiple Iranian military targets. There wasn’t a consensus on what course of action to take, and no military equipment or personnel had been moved in preparation for a strike,” the sources added.
Iran has vowed a harsh response to any attack, and has signaled that it may take preemptive action against Israel.
