Meanwhile, an Iranian Kurdish separatist group in Iraq claimed Iran targeted one of its bases in a drone and missile attack that killed at least one fighter. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the attack, which would be the first foreign operation Tehran has launched since the protests started. The death toll from the protests has reached at least 4,519 people, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that the protests had left “several thousand” people dead and blamed the United States. Comments from officials have led to fears of some of those detained being put to death in Iran, one of the world’s top executioners.

Source: ABC News January 21, 2026 12:42 UTC