Iran’s streets are battlegrounds as anti-regime protests intensify, claiming over 60 lives and leading to thousands of detentions. Originating from economic despair in late December 2025, the movement has ballooned into 180 cities across 31 provinces, marking a profound challenge to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s iron grip.
According to monitors, 62 deaths are verified, potentially rising above 65, with 2,311 arrests by January 9. Protests kicked off in Tehran’s markets against skyrocketing prices, unemployment, and currency collapse, but quickly pivoted to outright opposition against the supreme leader’s theocracy.
State media broke its silence Friday, conceding harm without details and accusing U.S.-Israeli agents of orchestration. Khamenei fired back at Donald Trump, deeming him boastful and bloodstained, while invoking a June clash allegedly killing 1,000+ Iranians on Trump’s orders. He vowed escalated force, as state broadcasts rang with ‘America Death’ cries.
Exiled heir Reza Pahlavi amplified the chaos, beseeching Trump for urgent aid online. This spurred huge rallies where demonstrators voiced support for Pahlavi’s repatriation—his father, the last Shah, fled after 1979’s upheaval.
With services disrupted and confrontations mounting, Iran’s stability hangs by a thread. These events signal deep-seated discontent that could reshape the nation’s future, drawing global scrutiny to the regime’s response.