Killing of Mohammad Nouri

Mohammad Noori (Persian: محمد نوری) was a 17-year-old teenager from Qom, Iran. During the protests of 2 January 2026 (12 Dey 1404), he was shot directly and killed during an assault by security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran on protesters in Towhid Square in the city. After he was wounded, Mohammad Noori's friends informed his family, and at his mother's insistence he was transferred, while unconscious, to a nearby medical clinic. His family stated that they were pressured after his death to describe him as affiliated with the Basij or to hold a funeral without notifying anyone.

Background

Starting on 28 December 2025, widespread protests erupted across Iran amid a deepening economic crisis and growing public frustration with government corruption, and demands for the end of the regime. The protests were Initially triggered by soaring inflation, skyrocketing food prices, and the Iranian rial's sharp depreciation, but quickly expanded into a broader movement demanding political change and the end of the Islamic Republic, with slogans like "Death to the Dictator", referring to supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and "Long live the Shah", referring to Reza Pahlavi. The demonstrations began in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, and spread to universities and major cities including Isfahan, Shiraz, and Mashhad, drawing students and merchants alike, many of whom cited government corruption, mismanagement, and prioritization of foreign conflicts over domestic needs as major grievances. The economic crisis, worsened by the 2025 conflict with Israel, reimposed UN sanctions, chronic inflation (42.2% in December), and food and health price surges of 50–72%, left merchants struggling to trade and households struggling to survive. Calls for reform grew alongside outrage over energy shortages, water crises, and civil rights abuses, and by early January 2026, dozens of protesters had been arrested, with reports of security forces firing live ammunition directly at demonstrators.

Death

Mohammad Nouri, a 17-year-old from Qom, Iran, was killed during protests on 2 January 2026 in Towhid Square. According to reports by The Independent in Persian and statements from his relatives, security forces opened fire on protesters in the square, and Nouri was shot from behind. After being wounded, his friends informed his family, and he was taken unconscious to a nearby medical clinic at his mother's request, where he later died from a gunshot wound to the lung. His family stated that they were pressured after his death to describe him as affiliated with the Basij or to hold a funeral without notifying anyone. Nouri's funeral was held on Sunday, 4 January 2026, without a public ceremony. Relatives said that Nouri was not affiliated with government forces and had participated in the protests as a civilian.

See also

• 2025–2026 Iranian protests
• 2026 Iran massacres