Iran’s ‘distinctive’ drone deployment sees death toll soar amid violent protests

Iran’s crackdown connected nationwide protests continued Sunday, with reports of wide killings arsenic demonstrations dispersed crossed the state amid warnings of drone surveillance.

The Center for Human Rights successful Iran claimed a "massacre was unfolding," portion the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported "surveillance drones flying overhead and movements by information forces astir protestation locations, indicating ongoing monitoring and information control."

"Drones are indispensable reconnaissance, surveillance and quality tools," subject drone adept Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital. "They person fixed the Iranian authorities a distinctive precocious manus successful combating the protests."

"I uncertainty determination volition beryllium immoderate usage of drones for nonstop strikes astatine this point," Chell said. "But I would not beryllium amazed if, beyond surveillance, they were utilizing drones to assistance presumption snipers and daze protesters."

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"It does bespeak the level of seriousness the authorities is applying towards the situation."

The afloat standard of the unit has been hard to verify owed to a near-total net blackout. Iran’s connectivity to the extracurricular satellite remained astatine astir 1% of mean levels, according to NetBlocks.

The astir blimpish estimates bespeak astatine slightest 2,000 radical whitethorn person been killed crossed Iran implicit the past 48 hours, Iran International reported. 

The deaths of 544 radical progressive successful the protests person been confirmed, with dozens of further cases nether review, according to HRANA.

HRANA said much than 10,681 individuals person been arrested and transferred to prisons. Protests person been recorded astatine 585 locations successful 186 cities crossed each 31 provinces, the bureau reported.

Witnesses told Iran International that information forces appeared "overstretched successful immoderate areas," relying connected intimidation, informing shots and force. 

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In this framework drawback from video obtained by the AP extracurricular Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a representation of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protestation successful Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In different locations, peculiarly successful southeastern Iran, rights groups said information forces fired straight astatine protesters successful Zahedan aft prayers, wounding respective people.

Ali Safavi, a subordinate of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, told Fox News Digital that drones were observed implicit Ferdow Boulevard successful Tehran-sar.

"The regime, successful fearfulness of the people, deployed drones to show and power the demonstrations," Safavi said. "In different areas determination were clashes and assaults from the suppressive forces."

Chell, CEO and co-founder of of Draganfly, claimed much information was imminent fixed Iran’s abrupt usage of drones.

"Iran would not beryllium unsocial oregon precocious by occidental standards successful utilizing drones, but they are precocious successful their tactical knowing and effectiveness utilizing them," helium said.  "This drone deployment 100% signals much information arsenic if, for nary different reason, it enables the authorities to cognize erstwhile and wherever to deploy resources."

"It helps way circumstantial radical oregon groups who fly protestation sites," Chell continued. "They could besides beryllium utilizing cells for tracking and listening truthful they could way protesters' compartment phones who were astatine the protestation sites."

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This framework drawback from a video released Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, by Iranian authorities tv shows a antheral holding a instrumentality to papers burning vehicles during a nighttime of wide protests successful Zanjan, Iran. (Iranian authorities TV via AP)

Chell said Iran relies mostly connected small, domestically produced systems.

"They would person the Bina, which has a smaller reconnaissance drone with a shorter operational scope of up to 40 km," helium said. "These are typically lightweight, equipped with optical/infrared cameras, utilized to show question and relay imagery backmost to crushed stations. These are the ones astir apt to beryllium adapted for assemblage monitoring passim cities."

Protests that began Dec. 28 implicit Iran’s economical illness person evolved into the largest anti-regime demonstrations successful years, according to analysts and absorption groups.

"We could spot an escalation successful the usage of intimidation/force multiplier effect of drones and/or the usage of teardrop state oregon fume to assistance make assemblage disbursement," Chell said.

President Donald Trump renewed warnings to Tehran, saying the U.S. stands acceptable to enactment protesters and cautioned Iranian authorities against the usage of lethal force.

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"Iran is looking astatine FREEDOM, possibly similar ne'er before. The USA stands acceptable to help!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP," helium wrote connected Truth Social.

Trump besides said that protesters look to beryllium gaining crushed successful immoderate cities and warned Iranian leaders not to statesman shooting demonstrators, saying, "we’ll commencement shooting too."