Dozens killed, thousands detained, internet and telephone connections cut off - the protests in Iran, which began in late 2025, are escalating.
Iran's Supreme Judge Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei repeated Ayatollah Khamenei's threats against the protesters and announced that each of them is working with the enemies of the Islamic Republic. Representatives of the country's security services also threatened the demonstrators. But this did not scare them, and on Thursday thousands again took to the streets in the country.
The protests have now spread to 92 cities in 27 provinces, according to the non-governmental organization "Human Rights Activists". According to various non-governmental organizations, the number of victims is over 40, and the number of arrests is more than 2,200.
"Death to Khamenei"
Last night, large crowds gathered in major cities to protest against the regime. Footage circulated on the Internet showed cars, possibly belonging to military officials, burning in Tehran. In Mashhad, a huge flag of the Islamic Republic was taken down and torn, while in Isfahan, a state television building was set on fire. Calls such as "Death to Khamenei" and "Freedom" could be heard on the streets of the capital, according to Tehran residents.
The Revolutionary Guards responded with violence. Footage, which has been confirmed by several media outlets, shows huge crowds of protesters in Tehran dispersing after gunshots are heard.
The imprisoned Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi has signed an open letter with Iranian dissidents and artists calling for democracy in the country. A number of Iranian activists and scholars living outside the Islamic Republic have supported the protests and called for the overthrow of the mullahs' regime. Among them is Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah. In clips from the streets of the city of Tabriz, chants such as "Long live Pahlavi" can be heard. However, the crown prince claims that he has no intention of ruling the country if the regime falls, and the attitude towards him is contradictory due to his father's controversial legacy.
Against the collapse of the economy and the power of the ayatollahs
The latest wave of protests in Iran began at the end of last year, the main reason for them being the severe economic crisis and the depreciation of the rial, which reached a record 1.47 million to 1 dollar this week. International sanctions, corruption and the ineffective management of the regime in Tehran are considered the main reasons for the country's economic collapse. The protests also include mass calls for democracy and more freedoms.
Iranian authorities and state media claim that the protesters are actually "terrorist agents" of the United States and Israel, who are trying to destabilize the country. US President Donald Trump has already threatened Tehran that if the violence against protesters continues, he will intervene. Ayatollah Khamenei accused the demonstrators of "destroying their own streets to please the president of another country".
Traders in traditional bazaars in the cities of Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, Mashhad and Kerman have closed their shops and stalls in protest against the dire state of the economy, according to Iranian media. They are the heart of the country's economy. They also helped Ayatollah Khomeini come to power during the Iranian Revolution in 1979.