WANA (Jan 21) – In the wake of the recent widespread unrest in Iran, the scale of damage to public and private property is gradually becoming clearer.

 

What initially began as a wave of economic protests, according to official reports, escalated into a level of organized violence that extended beyond streets and government buildings, affecting the daily lives of ordinary citizens.

 

Based on published statistics, the material damage has been significant. During the unrest, 704 privately owned properties belonging to ordinary citizens were destroyed, 384 of which were set on fire. In addition, 314 government buildings were attacked and damaged, while another 155 government facilities were burned.

 

In the financial sector, 399 banks were damaged and 303 bank branches were set ablaze. Furthermore, 419 branches of chain stores across eight provinces were looted, damaged, or burned.

Damage to urban infrastructure has also been reported as extensive. A total of 253 bus stops, 24 privately owned gas stations, and 305 public vehicles—including buses and ambulances—were damaged, with 93 of these vehicles set on fire. At the same time, 220 privately owned motorcycles and 749 police vehicles were damaged, and 90 police vehicles were burned.

 

The scope of damage did not end there. According to the reports, 350 mosques were damaged and 134 mosques were set on fire. In addition, 36 other religious sites were destroyed, 48 were burned, and 89 religious seminaries across different parts of the country sustained damage.

 

Alongside these incidents, reports have also emerged of trees being destroyed and damage to some registered historical sites.

 

From a human perspective, officials have reported a high number of injuries. The head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission stated that more than 3,700 people were injured in these incidents, while noting that the final figures are still under review.

 

He added that more than 2,221 vehicles and pieces of equipment belonging to law enforcement forces and the Basij were damaged, and that around 250 schools also suffered damage during the unrest.

Iranian clerics stand in the Islamic seminary that was burned during Iran’s protests, in Tehran, Iran, January 21, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Meanwhile, Iran’s judiciary has announced that legal proceedings related to these cases are underway. The spokesperson for the judiciary emphasized that, in addition to criminal charges, financial damages to public and private property will be included in indictments, and that the process of handling cases related to the violence will continue.

 

At the executive level, the Iranian government has also stressed compensation for citizens affected by the damage. The governor of Tehran province stated that the government’s priority is to compensate losses directly incurred by the public, and that county administrations have been tasked with collecting detailed information on the extent of the damage.

 

According to him, affected citizens can visit local governorates and submit documentation to pursue compensation, a process being implemented in coordination between the Tehran governorate and the Tehran municipality.

 

The scale of these damages goes beyond mere numbers and statistics. The breadth of affected targets—from private homes and schools to medical centers, emergency vehicles, religious sites, and urban infrastructure—suggests that the violence extended beyond sporadic street clashes and penetrated core aspects of public life and essential services.

Buses that were burned during Iran’s protests, in Tehran, Iran, January 21, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Against this backdrop, the simultaneous focus of the government and the judiciary on two parallel tracks—“legal action against those responsible for violence” and “compensation for citizens’ losses”—has been presented as a response to the social consequences of these events.

 

Executive officials have emphasized that rebuilding public trust will not be possible without compensating people for the direct damages they have suffered, particularly in cases involving families, small businesses, and educational and healthcare infrastructure.

 

At the same time, judicial proceedings are being pursued with the aim of ensuring that the economic and human costs of the unrest do not fall solely on society. The inclusion of financial damages in indictments is seen as an effort to link legal responsibility with the tangible consequences of these events