Iran’s protest movement has intensified, with thousands rallying across Tehran and other cities following a call for mass demonstrations by exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi. Human rights groups report dozens of fatalities as the unrest spreads.
Streets Fill With Shouts for Change
Witnesses said that as Thursday night arrived, neighbourhoods in Tehran erupted with chants of “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to the Islamic Republic!” Some protesters even voiced support for the former monarchy, shouting: “This is the last battle! Pahlavi will return!”
Pahlavi, whose father fled Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, urged citizens to unite and demand their rights, warning the government that the world was watching. “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 said in a statement.
Communication Blackouts Signal Rising Tensions
Almost immediately after the protests began, internet access and phone lines across the country were cut. Cloudflare, an internet monitoring firm, and the advocacy group NetBlocks both attributed the blackout to government interference. Calls from Dubai to Iran could not be completed, a move that has often preceded harsh crackdowns in previous demonstrations.
The protests mark a significant escalation in a movement that began in late December over Iran’s struggling economy and has now spread nationwide. Markets and bazaars in many cities shut down in solidarity with demonstrators, putting additional pressure on the government and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Deadly Clashes and International Attention
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights NGO reports that 45 people have been killed since the protests began, while more than 2,260 have been detained, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Despite the scale of the unrest, Iranian authorities have yet to publicly acknowledge the demonstrations.
International reactions have been swift. US President Donald Trump warned Tehran against violently suppressing peaceful protesters, while European Parliament President Roberta Metsola praised Iranians for standing up for freedom and dignity.
“The people of Europe see what is happening on the streets and in the hearts and minds of the people of Iran. We know the change that is underway… The people of Iran are not protesting, they are crying out. Europe hears them, the world hears them,” Metsola said.
The movement remains largely leaderless, and it is unclear whether Pahlavi’s call will shape the future of the protests or if the government will escalate its response in the coming days.
