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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said social unrest in the country should be managed in a way that minimizes harm to all parties and prevents dissatisfaction from escalating into a crisis.
According to Iran’s state television, Pezeshkian made the remarks at a graduation ceremony at the Police Academy in Tehran, addressing security forces’ response to recent demonstrations.
“When a tragedy, dissatisfaction, problem or deviation occurs in society, we must control it in the early stages before it turns into a crisis, prevent it and strive to resolve it,” he said.
Protests began in Iran on Dec. 28, 2025, led by merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over the rapid depreciation of the local currency against foreign currencies and deepening economic difficulties, later spreading nationwide.
Clashes intensified in Tehran on Jan. 8, prompting authorities to restrict internet access. Security forces intervened on Jan. 8-9 to suppress the protests.
On Jan. 21, Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, citing the Forensic Medicine Organization, said 3,117 people, including security personnel and civilians, were killed in the demonstrations.
It said 2,427 of those killed were security forces and civilians killed by “armed terrorist groups,” while no information was provided about 690 individuals.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said on Feb. 15 that 7,010 people were killed in the protests, including 214 security personnel.
Pezeshkian said security personnel should not be allowed to face threats to their lives during duty and intervention operations.
He added that law enforcement forces should be equipped with modern and technological tools to ensure they can manage incidents without causing harm to themselves or others.
“Social incidents must be managed in a way that causes the least harm to the parties,” he said.
He said incident management should ensure that those causing public disorder are safely apprehended and handed over to judicial authorities for legal proceedings.
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