Notes from the Ground: Reflections on a Month That Shook Iran

Jan 22, 2026

Kaveh Rostamkhani, a documentary photographer and essayist on the ground in Tehran, shares his harrowing firsthand accounts of the recent unrest in Iran. He discusses the complexity of the protests, fuelled by economic despair and manipulated by various factions. As internet blackouts hinder communication, Kaveh sheds light on the orchestrated escalation of violence and the devastating death toll, urging for independent investigations. With a call for civil reforms, he highlights the need for dialogue to avoid further bloodshed amidst external geopolitical powers.

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INSIGHT

Sympathy Within Security Ranks

Initial Tehran protests over currency devaluation showed sympathy from some government employees.
Early repression felt comparatively soft, suggesting internal ambivalence within security forces.

INSIGHT

Synchronous Riots Raise Orchestration Questions

Kaveh doubts the small-town riots felt organically linked to Tehran's market protests.
He suggests synchronous, radical incidents may have been orchestrated to provoke regime reaction.

ANECDOTE

January 7 Mass Mobilization In Tehran

On January 7th Kaveh heard loud noises and saw organized masses of over 2,000 moving toward Tehran's center.
He observed motorbikes and plainclothes individuals directing crowd movement and agitation.

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Documentary photographer and essayist Kaveh Rostamkhani has been on the ground in Tehran throughout the unrest and bloodshed that gripped Iran over the past weeks, and he published an essay on Instagram on Wednesday under the title, “Iran Unrests: A Feast for Vultures.” Rostamkhani describes some of what he observed and raises questions about the events that took place:

"In what would become the longest internet blackout in Iran’s history, only a semi-functional nationwide intranet was left available. Not only had the security forces clearly underestimated the mobilisation capabilities of the monarchists and their accomplices, but also observers and ordinary citizens were surprised by the excessive riots. By Saturday, January 10th, the nation would wake up soaked in blood.

"Over the next days, eye and ear witnesses recounted harrowing atrocities. One told me that in their neighbourhood there had been so many corpses that the authorities had to patrol through the blocks and load them onto pick-ups. The scale of deaths is beyond deniability, thus, the state TV airs scenes from Tehran’s legal medicine morgue, where scores of corpses are piled waiting to be identified by mourning relatives.

It might be easy to solely accuse the regime of a massacre of thousands, as many activists quickly did, though the reality seems to be more complex. Whilst there is a high number of deaths apparently as a result of a firm crackdown and the use of live ammunition, among the corpses there are also scores who have died due to wounds from knives, carpet cutters, and other improvised sharp blades. Then there are others who have endured gunshots at close range. Still others have succumbed to burns. And this is not an isolated issue limited to Tehran or a certain area, but all over the country there are also numerous corpses that have succumbed to wounds none of which correspond with a crowd and riot control perspective. It doesn’t make any sense for security forces to risk physical engagement and injury when their units have a de facto carte blanche to use lethal ammunition from a safe distance."

Drop Site News’s Jeremy Scahill spoke with Rostamkhani on Thursday morning.

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