In the accounts coming from the streets of Iran, we hear stories that are rarely reflected in the news. Young people who have no hope for the future, girls who feel unsafe in a poverty-stricken society, teachers whose tables have been emptied by soaring prices, farmers facing drought, retirees who cannot afford to make ends meet because of poverty, and citizens who share their pain, hopes, and stories from across Iran with us.
A woman from Tehran says: “This is a pain that I live with every day and every moment. I have a daughter who is a university student in her final year. Because of the security situation, I have to take her everywhere and bring her back myself. My younger daughter is 14 years old, and because of fear and insecurity, she has never even gone alone to the end of our street.”
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“Thinking about getting the children to and from places, on top of the amount of studying and activities they have, is truly exhausting. But when we have neither security nor peace of mind, I am forced to accompany them everywhere myself. Because of the poor-quality gasoline, the car keeps breaking down, and spare parts have also become expensive and poor in quality. The market is sluggish, and no one has money to buy anything. We really do not know how long we have to endure this pressure. A mother only wants her children to be able to travel around safely, study, and live their lives, and even that has been taken away from us. I hope this situation changes as soon as possible.”
When even the pay promised to volunteer forces is cut!
According to reports submitted by volunteer forces deployed to southern areas of the country, broken financial promises and poor service conditions have caused widespread dissatisfaction among these forces.
According to information received, many volunteer forces have been compelled to accept these assignments in high-risk areas because of the unemployment crisis, rising inflation, and severe economic pressures. While these individuals were initially promised a monthly payment of 400 million rials (approximately $182), IRGC officials reduced the amount to 200 million rials and are now refusing to pay even that amount, citing “lack of funds.”
In addition to the financial problems and broken promises by Iranian regime officials, protesters have also pointed to the poor quality of basic services, including inadequate food and the failure to respond to the forces’ demands. Reports indicate that economic dissatisfaction has even permeated the ranks of the regime’s executive and security forces.
Secret Codes for Treating and Transferring Injured Uprising Protesters
The statements of an ambulance driver dispatched from Isfahan have revealed new details about how the injured and those killed were treated during the January 2026 uprising.
According to this report, the medical and patient-transfer system used special codes to classify individuals. According to this eyewitness, “Code 2025” was assigned to affiliated forces and military organizations, who were transferred directly to the relevant centers to receive special medical services and to have matters related to disability or martyrdom processed.
By contrast, injured people and popular forces classified under “Code 2035” were denied the normal treatment procedures and were treated differently. These accounts point to widespread concealment in the statistics on those killed and structural discrimination in the provision of medical services to protesters.
Why Did the Repressive Forces Use Non-Organizational Weapons?
Reports received from the locations where paramilitary forces are stationed in southern areas shed new light on how they confronted and dealt with demonstrators.
According to observations by forces present at the scene, some individuals affiliated with paramilitary organizations have admitted to firing large numbers of buckshot and hunting pellets at protesters. According to these sources, the instructions issued emphasized firing directly at sensitive parts of the body, including the head and face, in order to prevent people from being referred to medical centers or going through judicial procedures.
These reports emphasize that the widespread use of non-organizational and hunting weapons was one of the main methods used to inflict severe injuries and conceal the true extent of the harm.
Closed Businesses and Unemployment Are Rife
A fellow citizen from Tehran, referring to the unstable situation in society, writes: “Gasoline has become scarce on the roads and in the queues, and most businesses have come to a standstill and closed down. People are facing severe shortages of goods in their daily shopping, and there is talk of products running out in the market because imports have stopped. Most people are living in poverty and despair, but amid these empty tables and overwhelming problems, they are waiting and hoping for a change in the situation and for things to change. There is a great deal of concern about an unknown future, but all the evidence and signs visible on the streets and throughout society indicate that these conditions are approaching their final days.”
