The Islamic Republic of Iran is currently facing an unprecedented surge of nationwide protests of the kind that global experts have reported has left more than 35 dead and more than 1,200 detained following the unrest that started at the end of December 2025.
In light of the acute security predicament, the Government of India on Monday, January 5, 2026, published a formal travel warning to ensure that Indian nationals remain very cautious in their travels.
The Price of the Unrest
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has reported that at least 29 protesters, four children and two members of Iran’s security forces, are among the killed. From a strike by Tehran's shopkeepers protesting the rising cost of living, the protests have spread to more than 78 cities and 222 locations around the nation.
The crackdown has only escalated after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a distinction between "rioters" and peaceful protesters, insisting that the former should be "put in their place". Reports from western provinces, especially those in Lorestan and Ilam, imply that security forces have fired live ammunition to disperse crowds.
India Issues Safety Advisory
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has moved quickly in response to thousands of students and professionals from India who live in Iran's borders.
- Avoid Travel: Indian nationals are recommended to do without any non-essential travel to Iran till their further notice. Be Alert: Those currently residing in Iran are advised to steer clear of protests, demonstrations, gathering places.
- Reception at Embassy: The MEA has applied to all Indian citizens and persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) in the area of Iran to register themselves with the Embassy of India in Tehran if they are not currently there.
Nationals are advised to follow closely the Embassy's social media accounts and site for real-time security updates. - The Economic Catalyst. The current wave of anger is fed by what we call a 'full scale economic war.' In December 2025, the Iranian Rial reached a record low (estimated at approximately 1.45 million to 1 USD), pushing up prices of such staple goods as rice and meat by more than 70% from previous levels.
Compounded by international sanctions and the fallout from recent regional conflicts, this mismanagement of the economy has now sent even the country’s middle-class people back into the streets. Although the government has announced it would establish a "dialogue mechanism", the stiff response received by both the Revolutionary Guard and Basij forces is now attracting international condemnation—including warnings from the United Nations. International Reaction.
The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said that he was deeply saddened by the loss of life and urged the Iranian authorities to protect the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly of the people. Meanwhile, tensions are running high as Iranian authorities blame “foreign powers” for having engineered the riots.
