TEHRAN – The Iranian business owners that had started a chain of protests over the fall of the Iranian Rial in late December were nowhere to be seen Thursday night. The streets were instead occupied by relatively small groups of young and overwhelmed individuals, who probably didn’t think they would end up bearing witness to what they did that harrowing night. 

Some that ended up in police custody said they had decided to take to the streets after being influenced by posts on social media. “We wanted to have some fun and vent out our emotions,” said a teenage boy in a video published by police. His face is blurred out, and voice altered to protect his identity.  What the 17-year-old had not been notified of by the social media posts was that with him, dozens of armed individuals were also going to be present, masked men that would proceed to kill people and security forces alike, and set fire to government entities, residential buildings, private businesses, fire stations, police stations, mosques, traditional mourning homes, supermarkets, and random vehicles parked in the streets. 

The next morning, some of the aftermath looked straight out of a horror movie. In Tehran, near the place I live, an entire 10-story building had been reduced to a burnt skeleton. I have passed by the building almost every day for the past 18 years. It was home to a hair salon I once received a trendy haircut at when I was 15, a bank I visited to open my first “adult” account when I was 18, and a café I frequented in my mid-20s. As I stood in front of the now burnt structure and stared at it Friday morning, I also saw my memories lying there with the ashes. 

Many such scenes now exist in Tehran. Thursday saw 17 government buildings, 24 residential complexes, 25 mosques, 26 banks, three metro stations, 47 buses, and 27 firefighter trucks get burned and destroyed, according to the mayor, Alireza Zakani, addressing a mayoral meeting on Saturday. 

Multiple American and Israeli officials have admitted to having deployed “agents” to Iranian streetsTerrorists also left behind a trail of blood. In the western Kermanshah Province, for instance, a three-year-old girl named Melina was killed in cold blood. “I was visiting the pharmacy to get cold medication for Melina, and baby formula for my newborn,” explained the father during an interview with the IRIB. He can’t stop crying. The reporter also begins to shed tears at his extremely distressed sight. “Masked men shot at her from behind and then ran away. She died in my own arms. My Melina’s blood covered my hands! What am I to do now?” 

In the northern city of Rasht, a female nurse was burnt alive during her night shift. Rioters set the medical center she worked at on fire and prevented firefighters from reaching the site for several hours.  

The exact number of casualties is still unknown. Police sent text messages to Iranian households Friday night, asking them to prevent their teenagers and young adults from leaving their homes at night if the situation outside seemed dangerous. “Armed terrorist factions were present at some gatherings last night. They are looking for victims. Take care of your children.”

Before the protests had escalated into deadly violence, multiple Israeli and American figures announced on social media that Mossad agents were “on the ground” with the demonstrators. 

Most reported casualties so far belong to security forces. In Qazvin, two officers were stabbed by terrorists, burned, and then dumped in a trashcan. Dozens of security forces were injured during armed ambushes on military bases and police stations across the country. In Rasht, one officer was mutilated after a home-made explosive was thrown at his face, causing his brain to ooze out.  

Riots subsided significantly on Friday night. Saturday and Sunday saw relative calm in most Iranian cities, including the capital. Police have so far arrested over 200 “armed individuals” across the country, as well as a Mossad agent who had entered Iran to report on the unrest. 

It appears that violence will die out in the near future, as the unprecedented level of violence is compelling even the most hard-headed teenagers to stay away from the streets at night, and intelligence forces are helping police and anti-terrorist units apprehend suspects. 

What is now important is that the government’s economic team manages to rein in prices and the currency market’s fluctuations, issues that spurred the initial peaceful protests by the bazaaries. Several new measures have been rolled out and put into effect in the past week, but more time is needed to judge their effectiveness.