By Ahmet Dursun and Gizem Nisa Demir
ANKARA/ISTANBUL (AA) - Large-scale damage to public and private property was reported during overnight unrest in Iran, according to official statements and state media.
In the Iranian capital, Tehran, multiple public buildings and private properties were set on fire or vandalized during protests late last night.
Tehran Mayor Ali Reza Zakani said protesters torched and damaged numerous buses and ambulances, as well as 24 houses, 25 mosques, two hospitals, and 26 banks.
Zakani stated that some groups within the demonstrators also destroyed buses, fire engines, and 42 vehicles. He accused what he described as “foreign enemies” of using Tehran’s children and young people to inflict damage on public property.
- Casualties in some cities
Violent incidents were reported during demonstrations held last night in Tehran and several other Iranian cities.
Footage broadcast by Iranian media and shared on social media showed masked individuals, some of them armed, gathering in scattered groups and attacking and vandalizing private cars, motorcycles, metro stations, banks, fire trucks, and buses.
Iranian state television reported that the unrest resulted in fatalities in some cities and left many people injured.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaking after the incidents, said certain groups supported by foreign powers had destroyed public property “to please” US President Donald Trump and to threaten the country’s leadership.
Protests in Iran began on Dec. 28, 2025, when shopkeepers launched demonstrations at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over the sharp depreciation of the local currency against foreign currencies and worsening economic conditions. The protests later spread to many cities across the country.
While Iranian authorities have not released official figures on deaths or injuries, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said as of yesterday that 42 people, including eight security personnel, had been killed in the protests.
HRANA also reported that dozens were injured and 2,277 people were detained.
The semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported on Jan. 7 that 568 police officers and 66 members of the Basij militia were injured during the demonstrations.