The city of Tehran witnessed a noticeable decline in unrest on Friday night, following the deployment of Basij forces to contain the recent wave of violence. According to Fars News Agency, the capital saw relative calm, with only limited rioting reported, a significant reduction compared to the previous night’s events.

Correspondents noted that calm prevailed across most areas of Tehran, crediting the joint presence of the popular and security Basij forces alongside police units in restoring stability.

The Basij forces, operating under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), were mobilized to reinforce public security amid ongoing tensions. According to domestic reports, their deployment appears to have contributed to a marked reduction in the intensity of the Tehran riots.

Attorney General orders swift legal action

Iranian Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Movahedi Azad issued a directive calling for the urgent review of all cases related to recent unrest. He instructed that the files of those detained in connection with the riots be handled by special judicial branches in an expedited manner, while maintaining principles of justice and fairness.

Movahedi Azad described rioters, saboteurs, and instigators as "tools in the hands of the Zionist regime," stressing the need for firm legal action. He emphasized that all individuals involved, whether perpetrators, instigators, or affiliated internal and external parties, must be prosecuted.

This includes entities operating hostile media outlets and social networks.

Iranian state television reported the martyrdom of two security personnel over the past two nights in the city of Shushtar, located in Khuzestan province. The deaths occurred during ongoing unrest in the area, though further details have yet to be officially released. Eight other personnel were also killed in Kermanshah Province, according to Fars News Agency.

The Basij forces play a significant role in maintaining internal order and responding to national crises. Operating under the authority of the Revolutionary Guard, the force is frequently deployed during periods of civil unrest to support law enforcement and stabilize volatile situations.

How the situation looks on the ground

Iranian state television reported on Thursday that two members of the security forces were killed by rioters in the city of Qom. In a separate development, state media aired footage showing the arrest of an armed group in Lorestan province.

Moreover, the police chief of Holilan district in Ilam province was killed amid the unveiling events in the country, Iranian police reported.

Rioters also burned a security officer alive in Marvdasht, in the Fars province, state broadcasters reported, describing the incident as a blatant act of terrorism that shocked the local community.

In another harrowing case in Kermanshah, western Iran, a baby girl was killed after rioters opened fire.  The child’s father said his daughter was shot while he was desperately attempting to obtain medicine for a sick family member.

In Kermanshah, #Iran, a father recounts the devastating moment his 3-year-old daughter was killed during violent unrest caused by saboteurs in the country. What was meant to be a simple trip to the pharmacy turned into a nightmare.

He describes the chaos, the sudden gunfire, and… pic.twitter.com/aGBGs4lX1K

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 9, 2026