Iranians have once again taken to the streets of major cities in the largest protests since 2019, despite disruptions in internet and telephone communications.
Mosques in Gholhak and wealthy Sa’adat Abad neighbourhoods of the capital Tehran were set alight, according to BBC Persian.
Seven Kurdish parties called for a general strike and an escalation of protests in Shia-majority Lorestan and in Kurdish-majority provinces of Kermanshah and Ilam.
Exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, who leads the monarchist opposition faction, has called for action to topple the 47-year-old theocratic government.
READ MORE
“Great nation of Iran, the eyes of the world are upon you. Take to the streets, and as a united front, shout your demands,” he posted on X. He urged security forces to “use your weapons not to fire on the people but to protect them”.
Nearly five decades after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran’s religious rulers are struggling to bridge the gap between their priorities and the expectations of a young society.
“I just want to live a peaceful, normal life ... Instead, they [the rulers] insist on a nuclear programme, supporting armed groups in the region and maintaining hostility toward the United States,” jobless graduate Mina (25), from Kuhdasht in Lorestan province, told Reuters.
“Those policies may have made sense in 1979, but not today. The world has changed.”
[ Could the Iranian regime be on its last legs? ]
Despite an internet crackdown, campaigners are using Elon Musk’s satellite-based Starlink communications system to get content online.
Iranian authorities have moved to shut down Instagram and other social media accounts of influences. Some had their posts taken down and replaced with a yellow warning message: “Due to the order of the judiciary, this page has been confiscated due to criminal activity.”
Unrest began on December 28th with protests in Tehran’s central bazaar against the steep fall of Iran’s currency, the rial, with 40 per cent-plus inflation and the soaring cost of living.
University students who number 3.5 million – who fear for their future under the leadership of rulers over 65 years of age – have taken to the streets and have been backed by labour unions, professional organisations and the public.
The focus has shifted from economic complaints to the political demand for regime change. About three-fifths of Iran’s 93 million people are under the age of 39, with the average age being 34 years.
Iranian state media has accused the United States and Israeli “terrorist agents” of triggering violence and setting fires, while Iran’s ruler, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said those involved in unrest were seeking to please US president Donald Trump.
In previous rounds of unrest, Iranian authorities have often responded with force, using mass arrests and violence to suppress demonstrations.
While authorities initially signalled a willingness to engage with protesters and listen to their demands, they appear to have hardened their stance in recent days.
Norway-based Iran Human Rights opposition group reported 45 demonstrators have been killed. US-hosted Human Rights Activists News Agency said more than 2,200 people have been arrested.
Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, the head of Iran’s judiciary, told Iranian media that the government would show no mercy.
“The enemy has officially announced its support,” he said. “I tell the people and the families that this time no one will be spared.” – Additional reporting by Reuters
