Tehran’s streets erupted in violence on Tuesday as gunfire echoed through the night, signaling a brutal escalation in Iran’s ongoing unrest.
On Tuesday, heavily armed militias were deployed across Tehran, transforming districts into fortified zones with intense security measures. Government buildings, state media sites, and major intersections came under guard as armored pickups and masked fighters patrolled in convoys.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported this as Day 24 of nationwide protests, noting a communications blackout alongside staggering casualty figures: 4,519 confirmed deaths, 9,049 under investigation, 5,811 seriously injured, and 26,314 arrested.
The protests, which began on Dec. 28 over economic grievances and opposition to clerical rule, have persisted despite mass arrests, lethal force, and internet shutdowns.
Video footage captured bursts of automatic weapons after dark, with large-caliber guns roaring as vehicles maneuvered urban streets, Fox News reports. An overwhelming security presence, including law enforcement, IRGC, Basij units, and plainclothes agents, has created an atmosphere of fear, according to HRANA.
Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), provided chilling details to Fox News Digital. “The regime has brought in at least 5,000 foreign elements now from Iraq and Hezbollah to control Tehran,” he claimed. That’s a staggering number, and if true, it suggests a regime so fearful of its own people that it must import muscle to keep power.
Safavi further noted, “They are guarding the government buildings and the state radio and TV and are using heavy machine guns, which are Russian-made and 50 caliber.” This paints a picture of a city under siege, not by invaders, but by its own rulers wielding foreign-backed firepower. It’s hard to see this as anything but a betrayal of national sovereignty.
Nightfall in Tehran brings not peace, but fierce clashes. Safavi described running street battles between protesters and special unit forces, with citizens sometimes holding ground against gunfire and tear gas. This isn’t just unrest; it’s a test of wills on urban battlegrounds.
The brutality doesn’t stop at street level. Safavi alleged IRGC units attacked a hospital in Gorgan, killing wounded patients and stationing snipers on rooftops. Such actions, if verified, reveal a regime willing to cross every line to silence dissent.
Further claims of cover-ups add to the horror. Safavi stated that around 76 bodies were taken to a warehouse, with forces refusing to return them to families for secret burials. This kind of opacity only fuels anger and mistrust among an already suffering population.
The protests trace back to economic collapse and frustration with clerical rule, evident in images of cars burning during unrest over currency devaluation on Jan. 8. Demonstrations captured on Jan. 9 show anti-government fervor refusing to fade. These are not fleeting outbursts but symptoms of systemic failure.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has predictably blamed foreign enemies for the chaos while endorsing the IRGC’s heavy-handed response. This tired narrative dodges accountability, ignoring the very real pain of Iranians crushed by economic hardship and repression.
Meanwhile, President Trump issued a stern warning on Tuesday to NewsNation about assassination threats from Tehran’s leaders, promising severe retaliation if acted upon. His words underscore a growing international tension, but they also highlight the limits of external pressure on a regime dug in deep.
NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi has rejected foreign military intervention as a solution, instead urging organized resistance within Iran to topple the IRGC. Her stance aligns with a belief that true change must come from the people, not outside armies. It’s a bold call, but one grounded in the reality of Iran’s complex internal struggle.
The use of foreign proxies like Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, as alleged by Safavi, raises serious questions about Iran’s future. If a government must lean on outsiders to suppress its citizens, what legitimacy remains? This isn’t governance; it’s occupation by proxy.
As Tehran’s streets burn and gunfire rings out, the world watches a nation at a breaking point. The courage of protesters facing down machine guns is undeniable, but so is the regime’s ruthless determination to cling to power. How this standoff resolves will shape Iran’s path for years to come.
