Anti-government chants filled Tehran as protesters pressed the biggest challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership in more than three years, defying a deadly crackdown and a sweeping internet blackout that rights monitors say has masked rising casualties.
Demonstrations now stretching into a second week have tested the theocratic establishment that has ruled since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has struck a defiant tone, denouncing protesters as “vandals” and accusing the United States of stoking unrest.
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Rights groups warned the toll is mounting amid a 48-hour blackout, according to internet observatory NetBlocks. Norway-based Iran Human Rights said at least 51 people have been killed, cautioning the true number may be higher. Amnesty International said it is analyzing “distressing reports” that security forces have intensified their unlawful use of lethal force since Thursday.
Despite the risks, crowds gathered again in northern Tehran, setting off fireworks and banging pots while chanting slogans, including in support of the ousted monarchy, according to video verified by AFP. Other clips shared on social media — which AFP said it could not immediately verify — showed demonstrations in several parts of the capital with anti-government chants echoing through neighborhoods.
Reza Pahlavi, the U.S.-based son of Iran’s last shah, urged more targeted actions over the weekend, shifting from mass mobilizations to efforts to “seize and hold city centers,” he said in a video posted on social media.
Video verified by AFP from Tehran’s Saadatabad district showed protesters shouting “death to Khamenei” as passing cars honked in support. Persian-language channels abroad and social media posts also pointed to sizable gatherings elsewhere in the capital and in cities including Mashhad in the east, Tabriz in the north and the holy city of Qom. In Hamedan, one man waved a shah-era flag featuring the lion and sun amid bonfires and dancing.
The government’s security response hardened as the unrest persisted. An AFP journalist reported streets in parts of Tehran went dark before nightfall Thursday and Friday, with shopkeepers shuttering early and security forces deploying. Shop windows were smashed in some areas. State TV broadcast funerals for security personnel it said were killed in the turmoil, including a large ceremony in Shiraz, and aired images of buildings — including a mosque — set on fire. Iran’s army vowed to “vigorously protect and safeguard national interests” against an “enemy seeking to disrupt order and peace.”
The unrest erupted Dec. 28 after authorities initially called for restraint and promised to address grievances. As protests spread and intensified, authorities stepped up arrests and force, rights groups say. Iran Human Rights published photos it said showed bodies of people shot during protests laid on the floor of Alghadir Hospital in eastern Tehran, calling the images further evidence of excessive force.
International reaction mounted. Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that “the USA stands ready to help,” adding, “Iran is looking at freedom, perhaps like never before.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe “stands fully behind” Iranians’ demands for basic freedoms and condemned “violent repression,” warning those responsible would “be remembered on the wrong side of history.”
With communications throttled nationwide, independent verification of claims from either side remained difficult. But the breadth of demonstrations — from central Tehran to provincial cities — and the speed of the state’s response underscored the volatility of a confrontation that shows little sign of abating.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
