Protests triggered by economic hardships have engulfed Iran for nearly two weeks, and clashes with police are becoming increasingly frequent.
According to the Persian service of the BBC, the death of 22 people has been confirmed, while Iranian authorities report six fatalities among security forces.
Meanwhile, the human rights organization Iran Human Rights reports at least 45 killed demonstrators, including eight minors.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the number of fatalities among protesters has reached 34, with at least 2,200 people detained. Protests have reportedly spread to 111 cities and towns, affecting universities, where exams have been postponed, particularly at Amir Kabir University in Tehran.
On Thursday, mass internet outages occurred in Iran, continuing into Friday. This has led to delays in obtaining information. Mobile communication issues have also been noted.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in his televised address on Friday, labeled the protesters as vandals destroying their own streets and stated that the Islamic Republic would not make concessions. He also accused U.S. President Donald Trump of having "blood on his hands" regarding Iranians, predicting his overthrow, similar to the overthrow of the Shah dynasty in Iran.
Reasons for the Protests in Iran
The protests began on December 28, when shop owners in Tehran took to the streets, dissatisfied with the sharp decline of the Iranian rial against the U.S. dollar.
Over the past year, the Iranian rial has significantly depreciated, and inflation has reached 40%. Sanctions imposed on the country due to its nuclear program exacerbate the economic situation, already weakened by corruption and ineffective governance.
Students soon joined the protests, which began to spread across the country, where participants chanted slogans against Ayatollah Khamenei and in support of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the overthrown Shah.
Reza Pahlavi, currently abroad, expressed support for the protesters and called for new mass actions on Thursday and Friday at 8:00 PM local time.
“The great people of Iran, the whole world is watching you. Go out into the streets and declare your demands as one front,” Pahlavi said (quote from Euronews). “I warn the Islamic Republic, its leader, and the IRGC: the world and President Trump are watching you. Suppressing the people will not go unanswered.”
Trump promised tough measures against Iran on Thursday if the authorities began "killing people," warning that Washington would "hit very hard."
Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq called for a general strike in Kurdish areas in the west of the country.
The human rights group Hengaw reported widespread support for this call, noting that shops were closed in 30 cities. In the Kurdish provinces of Ilam, Kermanshah, and Lorestan, security forces killed at least 17 protesters.
The Persian service of the BBC checked social media and confirmed that protests in Tehran and Mashhad are ongoing.
In Mashhad, demonstrators chanted "Long live the Shah" and "This is the last battle! Pahlavi will return." In other areas of Tehran, protesters shouted "Shame!" and "Don't be afraid, we are all together" after clashes with security forces.
In Dezful, footage shared with the BBC shows protesters clashing with security forces, who opened fire on the crowd.
On Thursday, Trump reiterated his threats of military intervention if Iranian authorities began killing protesters.
“I made it clear to them that if they start killing people — and they usually do during riots, they have a lot of them — we will hit them very hard,” he said in an interview.
Airlines began canceling flights to Iran. Turkish Airlines suspended five flights to Tehran, along with other cancellations from Iranian airlines. Flights from Dubai were also canceled.
As shown by FlightRadar24, Turkish Airlines flights to Shiraz and Pegasus flights to Mashhad were canceled before entering Iranian airspace.
Events of Wednesday
The human rights organization Iran Human Rights called Wednesday the bloodiest day of the protests, confirming the death of 13 protesters.
Videos posted on social media captured clashes between protesters and security forces, with gunfire heard.
Footage from other areas shows security forces using firearms and tear gas against the crowd, to which some protesters responded by throwing stones.
In videos from Qazvin, crowds of protesters can be seen chanting "Death to the dictator" and "Long live the Shah."
In Bandar Abbas, demonstrators called for help, but were dispersed by security forces.
In Mashhad, protesters clashed with police and forced them to retreat, chanting slogans in support of the Pahlavi dynasty.
According to the BBC, a large demonstration also took place in Abadan on Wednesday evening, where protesters chanted: "Guns, tanks, fireworks! The mullahs must go."
In other footage, security forces opened fire as protesters advanced, throwing stones.
By evening, security forces dispersed protesters using tear gas in Aligudarze, where the crowd chanted "Long live the people's uprising!"
In Kaimiyeh, protesters toppled a statue of Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. strike in 2020.
The Iranian news agency Fars reported two police officers killed in the city of Lordegan by armed individuals.
There are also reports of a police officer killed while attempting to suppress unrest in Mallard.
Verifying this information is difficult, as independent media in Iran are banned from reporting or face serious restrictions.
Response from Iranian Authorities
After a government meeting on Wednesday, Vice President Mohammad Jafar Qaimpanah stated that the president ordered no measures to be taken against peaceful protesters.
“People using weapons and attacking police stations are rebels, and we must distinguish them from peaceful protesters,” he added.
State media reported the introduction of a new monthly allowance of $7 for 71 million citizens amid high inflation.
Meanwhile, the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, stated that "rebels" would be swiftly punished to prevent further unrest.
Ayatollah Khamenei, holding absolute power, emphasized the need for "dialogue with protesters," but added that "rebels must be punished."
Local Residents' Opinions
A UK activist shared the story of a woman from Tehran who expressed feelings of despair and hopelessness.
“We live in a state of suspension. I feel like I'm hanging in the air,” she says about her life.
Another woman noted that she joined the protests because her dreams were "stolen" by the spiritual leadership, and she wants the authorities to know that "we have a voice."
A resident from western Ilam reported that her acquaintances from influential families are participating in the protests without their parents' knowledge.
25-year-old Mina from Kuhdasht expressed a desire to live a "normal life," but instead, the authorities are focused on the nuclear program and supporting armed groups.
According to Reuters, opinions among Iranians about the possibility of foreign intervention are divided. Even critics of the government doubt its feasibility.
“Enough. This regime has ruled our country for 50 years, and look at the result,” said a 31-year-old man from Isfahan, but he is against external intervention.
He adds: “I don’t want my country to suffer from military actions again. We want peace without the Islamic Republic.”
Experts' Opinions
Sanam Waqif, director of the Middle East program at Chatham House, noted that the protests are quickly taking on a political hue and are driven by deep dissatisfaction among the population.
“People are tired and see no prospects. Life is becoming increasingly difficult. If the protests continue, the government's response will intensify,” she said.
Sadegh Zibakalam, a professor at Tehran University, believes that the authorities may be more cautious in their actions due to Trump's threats.
“Some Iranian leaders may fear that harsh measures could provoke U.S. intervention,” he noted.
These protests have become the largest since the events of 2022, when mass unrest began following the death of Mahsa Amini.
According to human rights defenders, more than 550 people were killed and 20,000 detained during the suppression of protests in 2022.
According to estimates by Reuters, the current protests have not yet reached the scale of those in 2022-2023.
The Iranian authorities have restricted internet access amid ongoing mass unrest. In response, the community has urged residents to use the encrypted messenger BitChat, supported by Jack Dorsey.
According to Chromestats, the number of downloads of the app increased by 43,000 in the last 24 hours and by 437,900 over the week. However, it is still unclear how many of these downloads are from Iran.
Previously, the messenger attracted attention in Nepal and Indonesia during protests against the current government.
BitChat does not require an internet connection: each Bluetooth device in the network functions as a client and a relay, transmitting encrypted messages up to 30 meters away.
Elon Musk's Starlink satellites may also provide internet access. Users are urging the billionaire to deploy equipment in Iran, which he has done during protests in June.
According to some reports, Musk has responded to these requests.
