It remains unclear why exactly the bloodshed this time was so much greater than previous rounds of unrest, such as the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests or the 2009 "Green Movement."
Details of the crackdown began emerging as Iranians made phone calls abroad for the first time in days after authorities severed communications countrywide when the protests broke out.
State media has aired at least 97 confessions from protesters, many expressing remorse for their actions, since the protests began on Dec. 28, according to a rights group that is tracking the videos.
