Weekly Roundup from Kayhan Life: January 9th – January 16th

Artist: Behnam Mohammadi

When the Internet Went Dark, the Killing Began

More than a week ago, the Islamic Republic plunged Iran into digital darkness. Under the cover of this shutdown, the state launched a bloody crackdown.

Doctors across the country received threatening phone calls warning them not to treat injured protesters. Hospitals were attacked, and doctors and lawyers were arrested for providing medical or legal assistance.

Human rights organizations report the use of increasingly lethal force against protesters, including military-grade firearms, shotguns, and pellet weapons, and close-range shootings—actions that violate international law and the right to life. The state  has refused to release any official figures on arrests or deaths, instead claiming that unarmed protesters are “terrorists.”

The Prosecutor General declared all protesters mohareb (enemies of God), a charge punishable by death, and the head of the judiciary publicly called for swift trials and punishment, emphasizing speed over due process.

According to senior government and security officials speaking to Iran International, at least 12,000 people were killed—the largest killing in Iran’s contemporary history—many between Jan 8–9 amid the ongoing internet blackout.

Armed patrols now dominate cities nationwide. It is martial law in all but name.

Message from the streets of Iran to the world: This is not theater. It is not a show. It is a crime against humanity unfolding, shrouded by a blackout.

Help!

Welcome to the Kayhan Life Week in Review

From mass protests sweeping cities across the country to mounting international pressure on Tehran, the past few days have been among the most suspenseful for the Iranian people in years. This edition brings together on-the-ground developments inside Iran and the rapidly escalating global response, from Washington, Europe, and beyond.

►Millions Rally Across Iran After New Protest Calls by Prince Reza Pahlavi

Millions of Iranians poured into the streets across the country on Jan. 10 after a renewed call to protest by Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince and son of Iran’s last monarch, according to videos and accounts circulating despite a nationwide internet shutdown imposed by the authorities.

►Nobel Winner Ebadi, Prominent Iranians Urge Trump to Act as Crackdown Intensifies

As protests intensified, so too did the regime’s crackdown, prompting leading Iranian voices abroad to push the international community to act. The Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Shirin Ebadi and the prominent filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf joined senior journalists and opposition leaders in issuing a rare joint appeal to US President Donald Trump, urging immediate international action.

►Trump Signals Support for Reza Pahlavi if Iranians Accept His Leadership

U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran’s clerical state could collapse, reiterating that he supported Iranians who had taken to the streets.

►US Envoy to UN: US Stands by Iranian People, All Options on the Table

The United States stands by the “brave people of Iran,” and President Donald Trump “has made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday.

►Trump Says Nations Doing Business With Iran Face 25% Tariff on US Trade.

President Donald Trump said that any country that does business with Iran will face a tariff rate of 25% on any trade with the U.S., as Washington weighs a response to the situation in Iran, which is seeing its biggest anti-government protests in years.

►G7 Says Ready to Impose New Measures on Iran if Crackdown Continues

The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries said on Wednesday they were prepared to impose additional restrictive measures on Iran if it continues to crack down on protests and dissent in violation of international rights obligations.

►Britain Temporarily Closes Embassy in Tehran

The British embassy in Tehran was temporarily closed, the government said on Wednesday.

►Britain Condemns Iran Protest Killings, Signals Tougher Sanctions

British foreign minister Yvette Cooper condemned the Iranian leadership for what she described as the “horrendous and brutal killing” of protesters, saying Britain had summoned the Iranian ambassador to underline the gravity of the situation.

►Ukraine’s Zelenskiy: World Must Help Iran Engineer Change

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that the world had to help Iranians build on protests to engineer change to free them from the rule that brought evil to their own and other countries, including Ukraine.

Treat of the Week

Mela Ghormeh

The Kayhan Life Team wishes you a good weekend.