According to an Associated Press report, Rubina Aminian, a fashion student, was shot dead by Iranian security forces on January 8 during protests that erupted over soaring inflation and economic distress. Her mother has alleged that Aminian was shot at close range in the back of the head. The family says the body was initially withheld by authorities and later found among multiple unidentified bodies at a government facility.

Fearing further reprisals, the family did not conduct a public funeral. The mother claimed she covertly retrieved her daughter’s body and buried it in a roadside ditch outside the city, without religious rites, to avoid detection by security forces.

The killing comes amid weeks of unrest that began on December 28, 2025, after traders shut shops in Tehran’s main bazaars to protest record inflation and the collapse of the Iranian rial. Demonstrations quickly spread across major cities, with protesters chanting slogans against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic.

For the first time since the unrest began, Khamenei acknowledged that thousands of people had been killed in the violence. However, he blamed the deaths on what he called foreign interference, accusing US President Donald Trump of instigating unrest. “Trump has blood on his hands,” Khamenei said in a televised address.

Trump responded by declaring that Iran’s current leadership was “a temporary guest” and called for political change. The White House has said Washington is closely monitoring the situation. Trump earlier warned Tehran against executing detained protesters, threatening severe consequences.

Iranian officials and clerics have adopted a hardline tone. Senior cleric and Guardian Council member Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami described protesters as agents of the US and Israel and publicly called for their execution. State media has aired footage alleging the presence of armed groups among demonstrators, a claim disputed by rights groups.

Exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s former crown prince, has urged Iranians to continue protesting and appealed for international pressure on Tehran. He said Iranians had “no option but to continue the struggle.”

Human rights organisations estimate that at least 3,400 protesters have been killed and more than 18,000 arrested since the unrest began, though the United Nations says it has not independently verified the figures. The UN has warned of widespread human rights violations and urged restraint.

As protests continue despite internet shutdowns and mass arrests, Aminian’s death has drawn renewed attention to allegations of extrajudicial killings and the deepening crisis confronting Iran’s leadership.