A nurse died in the early hours of January 9 in a fire set by rebels at a hospital in the northwestern Iranian city of Gilan, Iranian state television IRIB reported.
At least 50 fire engines were damaged by protesters in Tehran and other cities, according to Tehran Province Fire Department Chief Qodratollah Mohammadi.
“On Thursday night, the rebels damaged 43 heavy vehicles, and by the second night, the number of damaged vehicles had reached 50,“ Iranian state television quoted him as saying.
According to Mohammadi, protesters not only set vehicles on fire but also disrupted the work of firefighters. “During one operation, our personnel were heading to a burning apartment building, but the insurgents set fire to the vehicles and prevented them from reaching the scene of the incident,“ he said.
The fire department chief also reported that arson and attacks on rescue facilities had been recorded in several cities: “A station with equipment was set on fire in Mashhad, 15 vehicles were damaged in Isfahan, five vehicles in Ahvaz, and a fire station was set on fire in Shiraz. The Red Crescent building was also set on fire in the city of Ize.“
On December 29, 2025, merchants began protests in Tehran over the sharp decline in the Iranian rial. On December 30, students joined the unrest. The unrest spread to most major cities. On January 2, groups of unidentified armed individuals appeared on the streets, and armed clashes between the insurgents and law enforcement agencies intensified.
The unrest reached its peak on the evening of January 8, when at least 11 civilians, including a child, and several law enforcement officers, including the prosecutor of the city of Esfarayen, were killed by insurgents. Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani reported that the insurgents burned down 25 mosques in the capital, damaged 26 banks, 3 medical centers, 10 government offices, 48 fire engines, 42 buses and ambulances, and 24 apartments. Iranian authorities have designated the insurgents as terrorists and have accused Israel and the United States of organizing the unrest.