CSDHI – On January 8, 2026 , the southern district of Naziyabad in Tehran became the scene of extremely intense street clashes, offering a striking illustration of both the scale of the repression carried out by the Iranian regime and the organized resistance of the protesters during the popular uprising of January 2026.

Videos filmed on the ground show that regime security forces deployed automatic weapons and fired directly into residential areas . Continuous and heavy bursts of machine-gun fire can be clearly heard in the streets of Naziyabad, particularly at night, underscoring the extreme violence of the crackdown.

Regime forces opened fire without warning in densely populated areas, immediately exposing unarmed civilians to mortal danger. The volume, continuity, and direction of the firing strongly indicate an indiscriminate use of lethal force , not law enforcement measures.

Organized resistance under heavy fire

Despite the intensity of the assault, recorded footage also shows young protesters actively resisting the advance of special forces. Using rudimentary means—including sonic booms and Molotov cocktails —the protesters attempted to slow down and repel the security forces entering the neighborhood.

Throughout the clashes of the popular uprising, slogans such as « Death to the dictator » were chanted repeatedly, reflecting a persistent climate of defiance and political determination in the face of overwhelming firepower.

Other scenes show street fighting and the encirclement of regime-linked sites , presumably government or security buildings. Large crowds gathered around these locations, while protesters lit fires in the middle of roads to reduce visibility , impede the movement of armored vehicles , and slow the advance of the security forces .

Close-quarters confrontations and a shift in fear

In several sequences, protesters are seen approaching within very close range of security forces’ positions. Their coordinated movements and repeated slogans appear to have shifted the psychological pressure towards the regime forces, reversing the desired climate of fear, despite the use of live ammunition.

The events that occurred in Naziyabad on January 8 and 9, 2026, contradict state media claims that the situation remained under control. On the contrary, they reveal a growing reality: densely populated and strategically important neighborhoods of Tehran have transformed into veritable hotbeds of popular uprising .

The prolonged use of automatic fire against defenseless civilians does not project authority. Rather, it highlights a regime increasingly reliant on brute force —a sign not of strength, but of desperation , in the face of a population determined to end decades of dictatorship.