ayatollah Iran street art

LIVE UPDATES: Iran’s President Says Attack On Khamenei ‘Tantamount’ To ‘Full-Scale War’ On Iran

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iran

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Protest

Revolution

The Democratic Party is insisting that basic law enforcement action against illegal immigrants, particularly criminal illegal immigrants, is some sort of violation of the American compact. They are, astonishingly, equating the American system with the Iranian ayatollahs in terms of tyranny. 
That is the case currently being made by Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee.
And it’s nuts.
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ken-martin-dnc-ice-donald-trump-iran-renee-good-ee393f1e?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqfhG8GUKeO8i8pRXbhSPQ-_Fcv_8DrnExtMG4lDLLwfMCiYuS3EPmunTq1dqXk%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69693e81&amp;gaa_sig=Bhn77IXYRUIPQsFvjsdV-YyKHIRO_XSupTQYSh-LjlWNsFRe6JKgW0tRbM62DzetJBMdDKOZlibDV-WRTYtQMQ%3D%3D">reported</a>:
<blockquote>As President Trump cancels meetings with the Iranian regime, increases the economic pressure and promises imminent help for the protesters being slaughtered in the streets, the Democratic Party’s boss has chimed in. Consider what Ken Martin, the Democratic National Committee Chairman, has to say:
“From Tehran to my birthplace of Minneapolis, people are rising up against systems that wield violence without accountability,” Mr. Martin wrote Sunday on social media. “Solidarity across borders means opposing authoritarian power everywhere and defending the right to live free from fear and state violence.”
When told that the continuing massacres by Iran’s regime and the tragic, split-second Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good by a U.S. law-enforcement officer aren’t the same, Mr. Martin plunged deeper into moral equivalence.
“If comparing the U.S. to Iran makes you angry, ask why,” he wrote. “Killing protesters. Crushing dissent. Kidnapping and disappearing legal citizens. Ignoring courts. Threatening critics. Terrorizing communities. That’s authoritarian behavior—anywhere.”</blockquote>
This is incredibly ironic, as the leader of the DNC — the party that has treated Hamas, Hezbollah, and all the various terror arms of Iran as some sort of half-political organizations, treated the Iranian government as a quasi-innocent in the region — now cites Iran as the repressive power to compare to President Trump, the president who actually struck Iran back in June of last year, blowing up their nuclear facility at Fordow.
It&#8217;s also amazing he compares the ayatollahs who are ordering the shooting of thousands of people in the streets to ICE agents enforcing criminal law while obstructed by benighted and misguided people.
“Killing protesters?” The Trump administration is not unleashing ICE to mass-shoot protesters. That&#8217;s insane. That&#8217;s psychotic.
And disgusting.
Ken Martin is out of his mind. “Kidnapping and disappearing legal citizens. Ignoring courts. Threatening critics. Terrorizing communities. That’s authoritarian behavior—anywhere.”
That is absolutely insane. The fact that Ken Martin would say such things is demonstrative of how disconnected the Democratic Party is from reality at its top levels.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2347-democrats-ice-is-just-like-the-ayatollahs?elementPosition=8&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
He&#8217;s not the only one who&#8217;s saying this, by the way. Representative Eugene Vindman of Virginia said on CNN, &#8220;We need to support the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom and independence. They&#8217;re protesting largely peacefully on the streets. And they&#8217;re being attacked and murdered. And I think, you know, there&#8217;s an irony, obviously, in what we see with ICE on America&#8217;s streets.&#8221;
Peter Baker of The New York Times was on MS NOW, where he declaimed, “People are watching the split screen situation of mass protests in Tehran and mass protests in Minneapolis. And of course, they&#8217;re looking to see how a president handles each of them. And while you really can&#8217;t compare the substance of these two very important issues happening for different parts of the planet, you can, I think, look at the rule of thumb that Donald Trump brings to it.”
“And I think the rule of thumb is pretty simple,” he continued. “If you&#8217;re protesting against a regime he disfavors, he opposes, then you&#8217;re heroes. If you&#8217;re protesting him or his policies, then you are illegitimate. You&#8217;re radicals. You&#8217;re radical Left lunatics.”
That&#8217;s ridiculous. If you are protesting the Ayatollah’s regime — the one where they murder you if you protest; the one where women are forced to wear hijabs; the one where they spread terrorism all over the region while impoverishing their people to the tune of no water or power in their capital — I don&#8217;t see how that is comparable to someone looting gun lockers in ICE vehicles in Minneapolis.
Why do Democrats and the Left embrace this equivalence? The truth is that they make excuses on a consistent basis for some of the worst people in the Middle East while ripping into governments that attempt to fight those people in the Middle East.
There&#8217;s been significantly more ire from the mainstream media at Israel for its action in the Gaza Strip, which was targeted action against a terrorist group hiding behind civilians, than there has been against the Iranian government thus far.
The enemy of good sense is the failure to speak basic truths.
There is a deeper agenda at work, of course. And that deeper agenda has to do with a Democratic party point of view that suggests that the importation of a large number of people from outside the United States inherently makes the United States culturally stronger.
That leads to this agenda: Don&#8217;t enforce immigration law.
The narrative that is being promoted by the Democrats and by the legacy media is that ICE is willy-nilly mass-arresting people for no reason at all based on the color of their skin.
That is a lie.
The vast majority of people that ICE is detaining and actually arresting after detention are criminals.
The Democrats are hoping that a little chaos and willfully misleading people will convince America to give up on immigration enforcement.
They are wrong.

BRITAIN-IRAN-PROTEST-RIGHTS

Democrats: ICE Is Just Like The Ayatollahs

Democratic National Committee

Democrats

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Opinion

Wall Street Journal

While the Iranian government is shooting protesters in the streets by the thousands, where is the hue and cry among our college protesting class? Where is it? Why have they gone so silent?
According to reports coming out of Iran, thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of Iranians are being killed in the streets by the Iranian regime. The Iranian people are now rising up against the Ayatollah-led regime, their mullah rulers, who have been leading them down a primrose path to both economic and despotic hell for the past 47 years.
Hundreds of thousands of people, apparently overnight, were still in the streets in Iran, braving actual bullets.
For all the people who pat themselves on the back for their bravery online, what actual bravery looks like is walking into the streets, arm in arm, standing up against people with machine guns who are firing live ammunition at you in order to achieve freedom for your people.
A bombshell new <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/iran-protest-death-toll-over-12000-feared-higher-video-bodies-at-morgue/">report</a> from CBS News suggests the Iranian government has murdered somewhere between 12,000 and 20,000 protesters since the ongoing national revolt began.
Meanwhile, there are apparently zero protests on college campuses in favor of the protesters. I have yet to see a major movement of congressional Democrats getting together in solidarity with the Iranian people.
The media coverage until the last couple of days has been scant on what is now a weeks-long, ongoing protest revolt against the regime, which is happening because the Iranian regime is absolutely weak in economic terms. The rial is now trading at a fraction of a penny.
The Iranian economy is running at low ebb because of the maximum sanctions that were placed against the regime by the Trump administration. It is also because of the overwhelming military successes that Israel has experienced since October 7 in cutting off the terror arms of the Iranian regime and of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in places ranging from Iran to Syria to Yemen to Iran itself. That obviously includes the 12-day war that happened last year, in which Iran proved to be a military paper tiger, unable to prevent the Israelis from flying sorties in broad daylight over Tehran and culminating in the American strike against Fordow, the nuclear facility in Iran.
There&#8217;s also a lack of water and power in Iran.
The mullahs, who promised an Islamic utopia, simply delivered an Islamist hell, and the people of Iran are sick of it. They are tired of it.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2346-iran-slaughter-in-the-streets?elementPosition=5&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
This is not the first protest movement in Iran. In 2009, there was a major protest movement that Barack Obama not only ignored, but undercut by negotiating with the Iranian regime, calling them “moderates,” and then trying to bring them into the fold of nations, which, as it turns out, was a horrifyingly bad idea that allowed them to strengthen themselves at the expense of America&#8217;s actual allies in the region.
Then, of course, he signed the 2015 JCPOA, which was designed to allow Iran and the mullahs a pathway to a nuclear bomb. The Trump administration came in, reversed the polarity, and put the pressure on the Iranian regime. Then Joe Biden came in, took his foot off the pedal, and started to talk again about a revived JCPOA.
By October of 2023, the Iranians were helping to spur the October 7 terror attacks in a seven-front terror war against Israel that ended, ironically, with Iran&#8217;s forces being absolutely devastated.
So now people are out in the streets, literally by the millions. And Iran is doing what Iran does best —they turn off the internet for the last several days, no information getting in, no information getting out, and they shoot people in the streets.
At this point, we are talking about a minimum of at least 3000 people who have been murdered on the streets of Iran. The number is probably significantly higher. We have seen pictures emerging of stacks of body bags. We&#8217;ve seen videos emerging of Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces and members of Iranian militias mowing people down.
President Trump is taking a strong position, telling Iranians to keep protesting, take over the institutions, save the names of the killers and abusers.
If the Iranian regime were deposed, that would be a sea change in geopolitics. Iran is a large-scale supplier of oil to China and a large-scale supplier of Shahid drones to Russia. Iran is the chief sponsor of global terrorism on planet Earth, having spread its terror tentacles not only throughout the Middle East, but also into Europe and into Latin America.
If the Iranian regime were to change, that would weaken Hezbollah in Lebanon. You might see an actual decent government with the capacity to destroy Hezbollah. You might see the possibility of an actual, broad Abraham Accord-like agreement between Iran and Israel.
I&#8217;m going to say it for the 100th time: This does not mean that the United States ought to put hundreds of thousands of troops on the ground in Iran to topple the regime. No one is talking about that. What we are talking about is a risk-reward calculation, whereby targeted American action could have a disproportionate effect on the future not only of the Middle East, but on geopolitics as a whole.
Imagine if the Houthis stopped harassing shipping in the Red Sea anymore because their sponsor state, Iran, was gone. Imagine if the Chinese had to be a little bit more careful about their playing around with anti-American forces in the Middle East, because the mullahs weren&#8217;t there to help them out. Imagine if the Russians did not have a gigantic supply of weaponry coming in from Iran.
A lot of people on the horseshoe theory Right are mirroring Ben Rhodes’ and Barack Obama’s foreign policy; many of them are simply dismissing a lot of the numbers coming out of Iran. You might notice that these are the same people perfectly willing to trust Hamas&#8217;s numbers in the Gaza Strip.
The same people who, in specious fashion, were labeling Israel&#8217;s targeted action in the Gaza Strip a genocide, have now gone extraordinarily silent when it comes to Iran literally mowing down protesters in the streets. That’s pretty incredible stuff from our human rights-loving friends.
The silence of the Left in the face of the brutality of the Iranian regime toward an innocent citizenry is staggeringly hypocritical and vile.

Iran map

Iran: Slaughter In The Streets And The Left Is Silent

Ben Shapiro

Donald Trump

Middle East

Murder

Protests

Iran&#8217;s authorities indicated on Saturday they could intensify their crackdown on the biggest anti-government demonstrations in years, with the Revolutionary Guards blaming unrest on terrorists and vowing to safeguard the governing system.
A day after U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new warning that the United States could intervene, there were fresh reports of violence across the country, although an internet blackout made it difficult to assess the full extent of unrest.
The exiled son of Iran&#8217;s last shah, who has emerged as a prominent voice in the fragmented opposition, made his strongest call yet for the protests to broaden into a revolt to topple the clerical rulers.
State media said a municipal building was set on fire in Karaj, west of Tehran, and blamed &#8220;rioters.&#8221; State TV broadcast footage of funerals of members of the security forces it said were killed in protests in the cities of Shiraz, Qom and Hamedan.
Footage on social media on Friday showed large crowds gathered in Tehran and fires lit in the street at night. Reuters was able to confirm the location by comparing landmarks with satellite imagery.
Protests have spread across Iran since December 28, beginning in response to soaring inflation, and quickly turning political with protesters demanding an end to clerical rule. Authorities accuse the U.S. and Israel of fomenting unrest.
Iranian rights group HRANA says at least 50 protesters and 15 security personnel have been killed, and some 2,300 arrested.
ARMY SAYS &#8216;TERRORIST GROUPS&#8217; SEEK TO UNDERMINE SECURITY
A witness in western Iran reached by phone said the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) were deployed and opening fire in the area from which the witness was speaking, declining to be identified for safety.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported the arrest of 100 &#8220;armed rioters&#8221; in the town of Baharestan near Tehran.
In a statement broadcast by state TV, the IRGC &#8211; an elite force which has suppressed previous bouts of unrest &#8211; accused &#8220;terrorists&#8221; of targeting military and law enforcement bases over the past two nights. It said several citizens and security personnel had been killed and public and private property set on fire.
Safeguarding the achievements of the Islamic revolution and maintaining security was a &#8220;red line,&#8221; it added.
The regular military also issued a statement saying it would &#8220;protect and safeguard national interests, the country’s strategic infrastructure, and public property.&#8221;
PAHLAVI SAYS GOAL IS TO PREPARE TO &#8216;SEIZE CITY CENTRES&#8217;
In a video posted on X, U.S.-based Reza Pahlavi, 65, whose father was toppled as Iran&#8217;s shah in the 1979 revolution, said the Islamic Republic would be brought &#8220;to its knees.&#8221; He called for people to seize the centres of their towns, and said he was preparing to return soon to Iran.
&#8220;Our goal is no longer merely to come into the streets; the goal is to prepare to seize city centres and hold them,&#8221; he said.
Trump said on Thursday he was not inclined to meet Pahlavi, a sign that he was waiting to see how the crisis plays out before backing an opposition leader.
Iran&#8217;s rulers have weathered repeated bouts of unrest, including student protests in 1999, over a disputed election in 2009, against economic hardships in 2019, and in 2022 over the death in custody of a woman accused of violating dress codes.
Trump, who joined Israel to strike Iran&#8217;s nuclear sites last summer, warned Tehran last week the U.S. could come to the protesters&#8217; aid. On Friday, he said: &#8220;You better not start shooting because we&#8217;ll start shooting too.&#8221;
&#8220;I just hope the protesters in Iran are going to be safe, because that&#8217;s a very dangerous place right now,&#8221; he added.
He has repeatedly included Iran in lists of places where he could intervene next, after sending forces to seize the president of Venezuela a week ago.
Some protesters on the streets have shouted slogans in support of Pahlavi, such as &#8220;Long live the shah,&#8221; although most chants have called for an end to rule by the clerics or demanded action to fix the economy.
DOCTOR SAYS PEOPLE BADLY BEATEN, KILLED
A doctor in northwestern Iran said that since Friday large numbers of injured protesters had been brought to hospitals. Some were badly beaten, suffering head injuries and broken legs and arms, as well as deep cuts.
At least 20 people in one hospital had been shot with live ammunition, five of whom later died.
On Friday, Khamenei accused protesters of acting on behalf of Trump, saying rioters were attacking public properties and warning that Tehran would not tolerate people acting as &#8220;mercenaries for foreigners.&#8221;
The IRGC&#8217;s public relations office said three members of the Basij security force were killed and five wounded during clashes with what it described as “armed rioters” in Gachsaran, in the southwest.
Another security officer was stabbed to death in Hamedan, in western Iran. The son of a senior officer, Brigadier General Nourali Shoushtari, was killed in the Ahmadabad area of Mashhad, in the northeast. Two other security personnel were killed over the past two nights in Shushtar, in Khuzestan province.
Authorities have described protests over the economy as legitimate while condemning what they call violent rioters over the past two weeks.
(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom. Writing by Tom PerryEditing by Mark Potter and Peter Graff)

Iran Authorities Signal Intensified Crackdown As Unrest Grows

Global Politics

World

A large wave of anti-regime demonstrations broke out last week in Iran. When the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991, few in the world anticipated the fall. But there were signs of the impending Soviet collapse. Could this be Iran’s Gorbachev moment?
While the exact timing of the fall of the regime in Iran is not clear, The U.S. and its partners need to formulate a plan to secure Iran’s enriched uranium and other nuclear materials, chemical weapons stocks, and other armaments in the case of regime collapse or loss of central control over the weapons and strategic materials.
As instability grew in the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/29/world/soviet-turmoil-gorbachev-and-yeltsin-move-to-secure-nuclear-weapons.html">ordered the transfer of short-range nuclear</a> missiles from the Caucasus and Baltic republics to central control in Russia. It is doubtful that Gorbachev envisioned at the time that the USSR was about to collapse, but he took precautions. The leaders of the Islamic Republic are not as prudent and are not likely to prevent loss of control over enriched uranium and other strategic threats.
Forecasting regime longevity and the outcome of anti-regime movements is not easy. At times, regimes can strengthen their power with a massive use of force, such as China’s Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. Other times, slaughtering protestors accelerates a regime’s demise, such as Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu’s suppression of protests in Timisoara in 1989.
One consistent indicator of a regime’s ability to weather a challenge, however, is the loyalty of the security forces. When Russian President Boris Yeltsin in 1991 contested the right of Gorbachev’s kidnappers to rule the USSR, he had already concluded deals with several military commanders to garner their support. He knew they had his back. When Georgian President Edward Shevardnadze relinquished power to protestors in Tbilisi’s parliament building during the country’s 2003 “Rose Revolution,” Interior Force commanders had already quietly told Shevardnadze that they would not fire on the protestors, so best he exit the building.
Multiple defections of security forces and regime insiders in Iran have already taken place. The desertions are clandestine at this point, and in some ways more destructive to the regime than open defections, since their ability to carry out sabotage continues. Israel’s successful massive infiltration of the regime rests upon the defection of large numbers of regime insiders and their willingness to work with foreigners to bring it down.
The regime is using force to attempt to remain in power. Since the 12-day war with Israel, the regime has arrested more than 21,000 political opponents. In 2025, the regime’s execution rate surged to levels not seen since 1989: The regime has executed close to 1500 people. Violence is escalating in the confrontation between the regime and the current wave of protests.
The regime has lost the ability to supply the Iranian people’s most basic needs. The country is in the grip of its worst water shortage in half a century. The water shortage affects most of Iran’s provinces and its largest cities, including Tehran and Mashhad. In parallel, electricity, natural gas, and fuel shortages continue to afflict Iran’s population. The government frequently closes schools due to the inability to provide heat and power.
Like the USSR, Iran is a multi-ethnic country. Persians comprise less than 40 percent of the population, and they primarily inhabit Iran’s center, while ethnic minorities are clear majorities in Iran’s border provinces, and share ties with co-ethnics in neighboring states, including Azerbaijan, Turkey, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan.
The current wave of anti-regime protests is taking place primarily in the Persian-populated center of the country. Iran’s ethnic Azerbaijanis, Arabs, and Baluch have not joined the fight at this stage. Many of the protestors have expressed support for the Pahlavi monarchy to return to rule Iran. The monarchy greatly suppressed the ethnic minorities and banned use of their languages in schools and government institutions. Thus, many among the ethnic minorities do not want to die in order to exchange an Islamic dictatorship with a Persian dictatorship. But if they perceive they can gain rights after the fall of the regime, they may join.
Uprisings in the non-Russian republics were critical to the fall of the USSR. In Iran’s border provinces, prior to the outbreak of the protests, the ethnic minorities conducted regular killings of security forces. In recent weeks, at least <a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/iran-policeman-killed-in-clash-in-restive-southeast-b1e3da3e">ten Iranian</a> policemen and <a href="https://en.irna.ir/news/86021470/Three-members-of-IRGC-Ground-Force-killed-in-southeastern-Iran">3 IRGC members</a> have been killed in separate incidents in <a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202509162527">Sistan-Baluchistan Province</a>. In small towns, they know the home addresses of the IRGC, police, and military officials and the places of work and study of their family members. Thus, unlike in big cities, the minorities can hold security services members personally accountable for their actions against protestors and other anti-regime activity.
Chaos can emerge quickly in Iran and without notice, as it did in Iraq during the Second Gulf War and Libya after the fall of Gaddafi. Loss of control of Iranian non-conventional and other weapon stockpiles pose a threat to regional and global security, especially to states that border Iran. These new weapons flow in the Middle East and could wind back recent successes in stabilizing several areas in the Middle East, such as Syria. The U.S. and its allies need a plan.
* * *
Brenda Shaffer is a faculty member of the US Naval Postgraduate School. @ProfBShaffer.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Iranians protest against the Islamic Republic of Iran, London

Is This Iran’s Gorbachev Moment?

Russia

Soviet Union

At least 35 people have died in Iran as nationwide protests stretch into a ninth day, despite repeated warnings from President Donald Trump that the Iranian regime would face consequences for killing protesters.
According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, the dead include 29 protesters, four children, and two members of Iran’s security forces. 
Trump reiterated his threat to intervene against the Iranian regime for attacking protesters on Sunday night.
“If (Iran) starts killing people like they have in the past, I think they’re gonna get hit very hard by the United States,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eyes-turn-to-iran-as-trumps-state-dept-posts-warning-shots-in-farsi-iran-tests-missile-defense?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Eyes+Turn+To+Iran+As+Trump%E2%80%99s+State+Dept+Posts+Warning+Shots+In+Farsi%2C+Iran+Tests+Missile+Defense">Trump said</a> aboard Air Force One.
The protests have reportedly reached over 250 locations in 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces, including a sit-in at Tehran’s historic Grand Bazaar on Tuesday. Videos show regime security forces dispersing the crowd with tear gas at the market, which has been essential to Iranian economic and political life for centuries.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In the heart of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar today. <a href="https://t.co/AHYatDU4Vv">pic.twitter.com/AHYatDU4Vv</a>
— Amit Segal (@AmitSegal) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitSegal/status/2008508418517332304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
An additional 1,200 people have reportedly been detained in connection with the protests. The <a href="https://hengaw.net/en/news/2026/01/article-45">Hengaw Organization for Human Rights</a> has documented many of the arrests, including a significant number involving Iranian Kurds, a long-persecuted minority in Iran.
According to Iranian state media, about 250 police officers and 45 members of the Basij force have been injured in the demonstrations.
Despite the ongoing protests and the Iranian rial hitting a record low on Tuesday, daily life in Tehran has continued largely as normal, with most shops open, though armed riot police have been stationed across the city, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1965401/iran-remains-unbothered-by-us-threats">reported AFP</a>.
Iran launched missile and air defense exercises over the weekend, with air defense fire heard in cities, including Tehran and Shiraz, Iran International English <a href="https://x.com/IranIntl_En/status/2007913808661193217">reported</a>. Such tests conflict with Trump’s warning issued last week during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when the president said he would back more Israeli military strikes on Iran if Tehran continues to develop ballistic missiles.
“The missiles, yes. The nuclear, fast,” Trump said. “One would be yes, absolutely, the other was, we’ll do it immediately.” 
The State Department’s Farsi-language X account posted a series of ominous messages late Sunday targeting the Iranian regime, including a post with an image of Trump alongside Secretary of State Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, accompanied by the Farsi-language warning: “Don’t play with President Trump.”
The account also condemned the regime for a “brutal attack” on a hospital in Ilam, where activists said demonstrators were seeking treatment.
“The raid on wards, the beating of medical staff, and the assault on the injured with tear gas and live ammunition is a blatant crime against humanity,” the post stated. “Hospitals are not battlefields. These actions by the Islamic Republic regime constitute a flagrant violation of international laws and demonstrate a regime that treats human lives with complete disregard.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
حمله وحشیانه رژیم جمهوری اسلامی به بیمارستانی در ایلام یک جنایت است.  یورش به بخش‌ها، ضرب و شتم کادر پزشکی و حمله به مجروحان با گاز اشک‌آور و گلوله جنگی، جنایتی آشکار علیه بشریت است. بیمارستان‌ها میدان نبرد نیستند. این اقدامات رژیم جمهوری اسلامی نقض فاحش قوانین بین‌المللی است و… <a href="https://t.co/GXgQfwIMf4">pic.twitter.com/GXgQfwIMf4</a>
— USAbehFarsi (@USABehFarsi) <a href="https://twitter.com/USABehFarsi/status/2008308823891546490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has sought to distinguish the economic grievances that sparked the initial protests from the broader anti-regime demonstrations sweeping the country.
Pezeshkian acknowledged last week that merchants who first took to the streets over soaring prices and economic hardship had “legitimate demands,” as the Iranian rial lost more than 56 percent of its value over six months, which has driven food prices up 72 percent compared to last year.
The Iranian regime will provide a monthly stipend of about $7 to each person for use at select grocery stores in an attempt to alleviate the economic hardship, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/at-least-35-people-including-4-children-killed-in-iran-protests-says-rights-group/">reported the Times of Israel</a>. 
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took a hard line approach, <a href="https://x.com/khamenei_ir/status/2007450336743588191">declaring</a> that “rioters must be put in their place” and that there is “no point in talking with a rioter,” signaling the regime’s continued readiness to use violence to crush dissent.

Trump and Ayatollah

Iran Ignores Trump’s Warning, Intensifies Crackdown On Protesters

Iran Ignores Trump’s Warning, Death Toll Rises As Crackdown On Protesters Intensifies

Elon Musk gave a shot in the arm to Iranians who are rebelling against the tyrannical Islamic regime, issuing a post on X that has now been echoed by the populace as they seek, against all odds, to battle against a regime that is armed, while the people themselves have to respond with sticks and stones.
Over the weekend, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei — who is <a href="https://x.com/nypost/status/2008325747870498925">rumored</a> to be looking to escape to Russia as the heroic protesters challenge his regime — wrote on X:  “We will not give in to the enemy.”
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We will not give in to the enemy.
&mdash; Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) <a href="https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/2007443312672723005?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Musk replied in Persian, “زهی خیال باطل,” variously translated as “Wishful thinking!” “In your dreams!” or “Fat chance!”
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زهی خیال باطل
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2007596970656039279?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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As famed Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad — who has been the target of two assassination attempts for her work challenging the Iranian regime — reported, “One day later, the same words echoed in a village called Chenar, in Asadabad, Hamedan; خامنه‌ای قاتل، زهی خیال باطل This is what happens when technology breaks censorship. Dictators can block the internet. They can’t block ideas.”
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A reply on X , a chant in Iran!<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a> replied “wishful thinking” under <a href="https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@khamenei_ir</a> post and one day later, the same words echoed in a village called Chenar, in Asadabad, Hamedan;
خامنه‌ای قاتل، زهی خیال باطل
This is what happens when technology breaks censorship.… <a href="https://t.co/wiwldVAVpR">https://t.co/wiwldVAVpR</a> <a href="https://t.co/WPbNjUebgw">pic.twitter.com/WPbNjUebgw</a>
&mdash; Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlinejadMasih/status/2008448547398590810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Alinejad has survived numerous plots against her by the Iranian government. As the Human Rights Foundation <a href="https://hrf.org/latest/hrf-condemns-second-assassination-plot-against-iranian-activist-masih-alinejad/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a> in November 2024, “The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) condemns the assassination plot, made public today by the U.S. Department of Justice, against Iranian journalist, women’s rights activist, and former Oslo Freedom Forum speaker Masih Alinejad. This is the third attempt on her life in the last three years orchestrated by the Iranian regime.”
Meanwhile, the Iranian people bravely continue in their tenth day of protesting against the regime:
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You have no idea what it means to face pure evil with nothing to defend yourself with. The people of Iran are incredibly courageous. <a href="https://t.co/uDTQMrrEOV">pic.twitter.com/uDTQMrrEOV</a>
&mdash; ثنا ابراهیمی | Sana Ebrahimi (@__Injaneb96) <a href="https://twitter.com/__Injaneb96/status/2008302631119106266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
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🔴 BREAKING:
Severe fighting taking place in Tehran. Insane scenes unfolding.
Stand with Iran. Stand with these brave people.
 <a href="https://t.co/vt61gK0XmJ">pic.twitter.com/vt61gK0XmJ</a>
&mdash; 𝐍𝐢𝐨𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐠 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) <a href="https://twitter.com/NiohBerg/status/2008496297939267804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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🚨 BREAKING: Day 10 of the uprising in Iran is already bigger than previous days.
Not only the Islamic regime failed to secure the streets to prevent another day of uprising, they’ve also failed to intimidate people to go home. Today is chaos.<a href="https://t.co/aZTBmfk3cM">pic.twitter.com/aZTBmfk3cM</a>
&mdash; Mahyar Tousi (@MahyarTousi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MahyarTousi/status/2008497443814731885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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This is what Iran looked like before the Islamic regime took over in 1979:
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Iran before Islam took over in 1979.
The Shah of Iran built 4000 publicly funded schools a year.
He provided free meals in schools to combat poverty &amp; banned child marriage so girls could be educated.
This is why Iranians want their Shah back.
The Islamists are the dictators. <a href="https://t.co/IISVkevcJu">pic.twitter.com/IISVkevcJu</a>
&mdash; Goldie Ghamari | گلسا قمری (@gghamari) <a href="https://twitter.com/gghamari/status/2008213339156156920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
On Tuesday, Reza Pahlavi, the leader of the Iranian democratic opposition and the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last shah of Iran, wrote in an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/01/06/pahlavi-iran-democracy-transition-planning/">opinion piece</a>:
<blockquote>
The Islamic Republic has exhausted its legitimacy, and after almost 47 years, the country wants to be free. The courage of these men and women deserves more than sympathy. It demands clarity, preparation and responsible leadership — inside Iran and among those who influence global affairs. Because Iran’s liberation will mean much more than a restoration of dignity to Iranians. It will bring a global peace dividend of almost unimaginable proportions.
That’s why I welcome President Donald Trump’s clear and firm support for the Iranian people. His message that the United States stands with those who seek freedom rather than with a regime that exports terror and instability has resonated deeply inside Iran. For protesters facing prison, torture, or death, knowing they are not alone matters. For the regime, it is a reminder that intimidation no longer guarantees survival. We saw proof of that in Venezuela.
The Islamic Republic of Iran today is weaker and more divided than at any point since 1979. Its response to peaceful dissent — mass arrests, executions and repression — shows the regime is afraid. According to human rights organizations, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3v1g227p4xo">at least 1,500 executions</a> were carried out from January to early December of last year, a sharp rise from 2024. Religious minorities — Christians, Jews and Baha’is — face systematic persecution. The regime’s violence is not a sign of its permanence; it is the behavior of a system struggling to maintain control.
Despite this pressure, the Iranian people persist. In recent days, protests have escalated in nearly all provinces and over 100 cities across Iran. &#8230;
History rarely announces its turning points in advance. But today, the signs are unmistakable. The Iranian people are moving forward with courage and determination. What they need now is a world prepared to support a responsible transition. The time is now. Do not simply observe the birth of a new Iran. Work with us to ensure that it is peaceful, stable and worthy of the sacrifices its people are making.
</blockquote>

MixCollage-06-Jan-2026-10-13-AM-4567

How Elon Musk Gave Iranian Protesters Their Rallying Cry

Elon Musk

The State Department’s Farsi-language X account posted a series of ominous messages late Sunday as the Iranian regime conducted missile tests and security forces continued their crack down on demonstrators around the country, defying President Donald Trump’s call for a stop to violence.
“President Trump is a man of action. If you didn’t know, now you know,” the account wrote, a reference to comments Secretary of State Marco Rubio made after Trump sent in the American Special Forces to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro on Saturday.
The post included an image of Trump alongside Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, accompanied by the Farsi-language warning: “Don’t play with President Trump.”
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
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رئیس‌جمهور ترامپ مرد عمل است.
اگر نمی‌دانستید، حالا می‌دانید. <a href="https://t.co/eYvbMXpmuc">https://t.co/eYvbMXpmuc</a> <a href="https://t.co/WtxROv3Xpn">pic.twitter.com/WtxROv3Xpn</a>
— USAbehFarsi (@USABehFarsi) <a href="https://twitter.com/USABehFarsi/status/2007946382728892636?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
Trump reiterated his threat to intervene against the Iranian regime for attacking protesters on Sunday night.
&#8220;If (Iran) starts killing people like they have in the past, I think they&#8217;re gonna get hit very hard by the United States,” Trump said aboard Air Force One.
The death toll has risen to at least 17 during the week-long protest, <a href="https://hengaw.net/en/reports-and-statistics-1/2026/01/article-2">according to</a> the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, with most victims reportedly killed by direct gunfire from regime forces. 
Various videos circulating on social media separately show Iranian security forces violently attacking demonstrators and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/death-to-the-dictator-iranians-defy-regime-for-fourth-consecutive-day-amid-economic-turmoil?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Death+To+The+Dictator%3A%E2%80%99+Iranians+Defy+Regime+For+Fourth+Consecutive+Day+Amid+Economic+Turmoil">protesters chanting</a> anti-regime slogans, including “freedom” and “death to the dictator.”
This comes in the days after Trump warned that this activity would lead to an American response.
“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump posted to Truth Social early Friday morning. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
Iran over the weekend launched missile and air defense exercises, with air defense fire heard in Tehran and Shiraz, Iran International English <a href="https://x.com/IranIntl_En/status/2007913808661193217">reported</a>. Such tests conflict with Trump&#8217;s warning issued last week during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when the president said he would back more Israeli military strikes on Iran if Tehran continues to develop ballistic missiles.
“The missiles, yes. The nuclear, fast,” Trump said. “One would be yes, absolutely, the other was, we’ll do it immediately.” 
Other recent posts from the State Department’s Farsi-language account include a clip of Rubio from the press conference following Maduro’s capture, in which he warned that Trump does not make idle threats.
“I hope people now understand,” the post states, quoting Rubio. “The President of the United States is not a game player. When he tells you he&#8217;s going to do something and address a problem, he means it.”
Another post features Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth referencing the U.S. B-2 bomber strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in June during the same press conference.
&#8220;Nicolás Maduro had his chance, just like Iran had their chance — until they didn&#8217;t and until he didn&#8217;t. He F&#8217;d around and he found out,” Hegseth is quoted as saying in the Farsi post.
The growing domestic unrest has posed a serious challenge to the Iranian regime’s grip on power, and has been further complicated by Trump’s bold action against Nicolás Maduro, a close ally of the regime.
According to the New York Times, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the body in charge of internal and external security, had a meeting late Friday night to discuss how to curb the protests without violence, and how to prepare for possible military strikes. Officials said the Islamic Republic is operating in “survival mode,” according to the report.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has attempted to separate the economic grievances that initially sparked nationwide protests from the broader anti-regime demonstrations around the country.
Pezeshkian said last week that merchants who first took to the streets over soaring prices and economic hardship had “legitimate demands,” citing the regime’s failure to prevent the country&#8217;s financial freefall with the Iranian rial losing more than 56 percent of its value over the past six months. The drop has led to a 72 percent increase in food prices compared to last year.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, took a harsher tone against protesters, <a href="https://x.com/khamenei_ir/status/2007450336743588191">posting that</a> the “rioters must be put in their place” and that there is “no point in talking with a rioter.”

Eyes Turn To Iran As Trump’s State Dept Posts Warning Shots In Farsi, Iran Tests Missile Defense

Iranian security forces killed several protesters this week as demonstrations entered their sixth day.
The killings come amid President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/locked-and-loaded-trump-warns-u-s-will-rescue-iranians-if-regime-opens-fire-on-protesters?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=%E2%80%98Locked+And+Loaded%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+Warns+U.S.+Will+%E2%80%98Rescue%E2%80%99+Iranians+If+Regime+Opens+Fire+On+Protesters">threatening to</a> take action if the regime kills people who are demonstrating against it. 
“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump posted to Truth Social early Friday morning. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
So far, about six to seven protesters are reported to have been killed, with at least six losing their lives in direct shootings as the regime’s security forces brutally crack down on civil unrest, according to the Center for Human Rights in Iran and the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. All of those killed were males, including a 15-year-old and others mostly in their 20s and 30s.
The Iranian regime has confirmed only the death of Amirhesam Khodayari, describing him as a member of the Basij militia. Hengaw, a human rights group, said he was a protester and reported that authorities pressured his family to label him a militia member as a condition of returning his body, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/01/02/iran-protests-violence/">reported the Washington Post</a>.
During Khodayari’s funeral, his father confirmed he was not part of the Basij militia, a video posted to social media shows.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Sixth day of anti-establishment protests in Iran 
During the funeral of Amir Hesam Khodayari Fard, killed in the recent protests in Koohdasht, his father said that despite Iranian state media reports his son was not a member of the paramilitary Basij force.<a href="https://t.co/EqlJLs0Uqy">pic.twitter.com/EqlJLs0Uqy</a>
— Ghoncheh Habibiazad | غنچه (@GhonchehAzad) <a href="https://twitter.com/GhonchehAzad/status/2007108050508013891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
Protesters have escalated their opposition to security forces, including setting fire to a police station in the city of Azna. 
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Videos posted to social media show the chaos erupting all over the country, including mourners chasing away security forces from Khodayari’s funeral, as well as regime forces opening fire on demonstrators. Protesters have been heard chanting anti-regime slogans such as “Freedom” and “Death to the Dictator.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Sixth day of anti-establishment protests in Iran
Video shows a group of protesters in Marvdasht, southern Fars Province.
29.878562198292812, 52.807091711608535<a href="https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GeoConfirmed</a> <a href="https://t.co/6bOx5Nkjq9">pic.twitter.com/6bOx5Nkjq9</a>
— Ghoncheh Habibiazad | غنچه (@GhonchehAzad) <a href="https://twitter.com/GhonchehAzad/status/2007104961411522690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
Protesters have also <a href="https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2006835006250037759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2006835006250037759%7Ctwgr%5Ecc777c7f2919eb35903794022ba28e4bb44c008a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iranintl.com%2Fen%2F202601016073">reportedly celebrated</a> the sixth anniversary of the United States’ assassination of Qassem Soleimani by setting a statue of him in Lali, Khuzestan, on fire.
Last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the merchants who initially sparked the protests over economic despair had “legitimate demands,” but the regime has since sought to distinguish those grievances from the broader, full-scale anti-regime demonstrations that followed.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, echoed that position in response to Trump’s threat, saying the regime differentiates “between the position of the protesting merchants and the actions of the sabotage elements.”
“Trump must realize that U.S. intervention in this internal matter will lead to destabilizing the entire region and destroying American interests,” <a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2007024418279530652">he said on X</a>, adding that the United States “should pay attention to the safety of their soldiers.”
The speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, <a href="https://x.com/mb_ghalibaf/status/2007075162919772350">posted to X</a> that “all American centers and forces across the entire region will be legitimate targets for us in response to any potential adventurism.”
While Iranian regime figures continue to make threats on X, all Iranians are barred by their government from using the social media website themselves.
In June, the Iranian regime attacked <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/irans-ayatollah-khamenei-declares-victory-over-united-states">Al-Udeid</a>, the American airbase in Qatar that is home to 10,000 American service members. The United States has significant numbers of troops within the range of Iranian missiles at bases all around the Middle East.
The Iranian rial has dropped 1.42 million to the dollar, losing more than 56 percent of its value over the past six months, fueling inflation and a 72% increase in food prices from last year. Pezeshkian has cited the economic deterioration as a reason to take a more conciliatory stance toward the merchants, saying the unrest reflects the government’s failure to address the financial turmoil.
“We are to blame… Do not look for America or anyone else to blame. We must serve properly so that people are satisfied with us…. It is us who have to find a solution to these problems,” he said, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-threatens-iran-over-protest-deaths-unrest-flares-2026-01-02/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a>. 
The 1979 Iranian revolution, which overthrew the monarchical government of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and ushered in the Islamic regime, was fueled in part by bazaar merchants who allied with the mullahs and helped sustain mass strikes and economic pressure against the state.
During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, President Trump said he would back more Israeli military strikes on Iran if Tehran continues to develop ballistic missiles or pursue nuclear capabilities.
“The missiles, yes. The nuclear, fast,” Trump said. “One would be yes, absolutely, the other was, we’ll do it immediately.” 
The president also commented on the protests, which were only beginning, stating that the Iranian people were expressing discontent as their country suffers from inflation, a “bust” economy, and the threat of violence or death when protesting.
“Every time they have a rioter or someone forms a group, little or big, they start shooting people. You know, they kill people,” Trump said. “They’re vicious, vicious people.”
The demonstrations mark the largest unrest since the sweeping 2022 protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating hijab regulations. Her death ignited nationwide protests under the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom,” before the regime moved to crush the movement through mass arrests, deadly force, and executions. That chant has also been recited during the current wave of protests.

What To Know About Iran’s Deadly Protests As Uprising Enters A Sixth Day

Tens of thousands of Iranians closed out 2025 on Wednesday with a fourth consecutive day of protests, as demonstrations sparked by the country’s collapsing economy escalated into open anti-regime unrest.
The protests, beginning in Tehran, have engulfed university campuses and led to merchants shutting down their stores to join in all over the country, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/we-want-the-mullahs-gone-economic-crisis-sparks-biggest-protests-in-iran-since-2022">The Guardian reported.</a> Videos posted to social media show protesters <a href="https://x.com/AlirezaNader/status/2005640183526686805">chanting</a> ‘Freedom” and “death to the dictator.”
Iran has faced economic turmoil this past year, with the Iranian rial reportedly dropping to 1.42 million to the dollar — a more than 56% loss in value over six months, resulting in soaring inflation and food prices up 72% compared to last year.
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In response, Iran appointed a new governor to the central bank, Abdolnasser Hemmati, a former economics minister. When the previous governor, Mohammad Reza Farzin, took office, the rial traded 430,000 to the dollar, <a href="https://lasvegassun.com/news/2025/dec/31/iran-appoints-new-central-bank-governor-after-reco/">reported the Associated Press</a>. At the time of the 2015 nuclear agreement, the rial traded at 32,000 to the dollar.
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani called the protests “a natural reaction to economic and livelihood pressure.”
“When people raise their voices it shows the high level of pressure they are under,” she added.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the protesters have “legitimate demands” and met with the heads of guilds, unions, chambers of commerce, and others, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/world/middleeast/iran-protests-currency-inflation-universities.html">The New York Times reported.</a>
The protests are the largest since the massive 2022 protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after her arrest by the Iranian regime’s morality police for allegedly violating hijab rules. In the wake of her death, protests erupted with the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom,” until the regime brutally cracked down on demonstrators with mass arrests, lethal force, and executions.
The protests this week have also included chants of “Women, Life, Freedom.”
On Monday, during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump said he would back more Israeli military strikes on Iran if Tehran continues to develop ballistic missiles or pursue nuclear capabilities.
“The missiles, yes. The nuclear, fast,” Trump said. “One would be yes, absolutely, the other was, we’ll do it immediately.” 
The president also noted that the Iranian people were expressing discontent as their country suffers from inflation, a “bust” economy, and the threat of violence or death when protesting.
“Every time they have a rioter or someone forms a group, little or big, they start shooting people. You know, they kill people,” Trump said. “They’re vicious, vicious people.”
Ali Shamkhani, a representative of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, responded, claiming that “any aggression” will face a “harsh response that is immediate and beyond the imagination of its designers.”
“In Iran&#8217;s defense doctrine, some responses are determined before the threat reaches the execution stage,” <a href="https://x.com/alishamkhani_ir/status/2005720862276870362">he tweeted</a>. “Missile and defensive Iran capabilities are neither containable nor in need of permission.”

Currency rates climb in Iran

‘Death To The Dictator:’ Iranians Defy Regime For Fourth Consecutive Day Amid Economic Turmoil

In 1946, not too long after the end of World War II, Winston Churchill famously spoke of a “special relationship” between the United Kingdom and the United States — not only as a bond of history and language, but as a partnership grounded in shared principles and moral duty. That same sense of duty must guide us today as we confront the world’s leading state sponsor of terror: the clerical regime in Iran.
Historically, when facing totalitarian regimes, Britain, the US, and other Western powers have placed local dissidents at the center of any discussion about the future of oppressed nations. Yet Iran remains a glaring exception. For reasons that defy logic and morality, successive governments have marginalized the voices of Iranian democrats.
I am one of a growing number of Western politicians on both sides of the Atlantic who believe this should change and to this end, I will speak at the Free Iran Convention in Washington, D.C., on November 15, where more than one thousand Iranian experts, professionals, and academicians from all over the US, will present their vision for a free, democratic Iran.
For nearly half a century, Western policy toward Tehran has prioritized negotiation over accountability, assuming the clerical regime’s grip on power was unshakeable. Many believed Iran’s rulers would never meet the same fate as the Shah — at least not without chaos in the absence of a viable alternative.
That assumption was flawed from the outset. In the immediate aftermath of the 1979 revolution, the forces that helped topple the Shah — chief among them the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) — remained active, popular, and determined to oppose the theocracy that hijacked the revolution’s promise. The regime responded with brutal repression throughout the 1980s, culminating in the horrific 1988 massacre of around 30,000 political prisoners, most of them MEK members and supporters.
This atrocity was meant to eliminate organized opposition once and for all. It failed. The MEK survived and went on to form the backbone of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a broad coalition advocating regime change and democratic transition. Yet, tragically, the massacre convinced much of the international community that internal resistance had been extinguished — and that engagement with Tehran was the only realistic path forward.
Encouraged by that misperception (echoed by the regime’s protagonists and lobbyists), the regime deepened its repression at home and aggression abroad. It became the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, the nation with the highest per-capita rate of executions, and the only non-nuclear-armed state enriching uranium to 60% purity — just short of weapons-grade.
Ironically, by assuming the regime’s permanence, Western leaders helped create a situation where regime change has become essential for global security and human rights. Some progress is evident: the UK, France, and Germany recently triggered the re-imposition of UN sanctions following Washington’s return to a “maximum pressure” strategy.
But it remains unclear whether today’s policymakers grasp how profoundly their predecessors misread the regime’s vulnerability.
That misunderstanding can no longer be excused. Three nationwide uprisings — in 2018, 2019, and 2022 — have shown the Iranian people’s enduring commitment to democratic change. The unity and persistence of their demands reveal the strength of an organized opposition that, despite deadly crackdowns and decades of dismissal by Western analysts, continues to challenge the regime from within.
The Free Iran Convention in Washington builds on this momentum. It follows major gatherings in Brussels and across Europe, where Iranian youth and dissidents reaffirmed their readiness for a democratic transition. The movement’s supporters will call for a coherent Western policy — one that recognizes the NCRI as a credible alternative and supports the Iranian people’s right to determine their future.
Many of us in public life have already joined this cause. In parliaments on both sides of the Atlantic, lawmakers have endorsed resolutions recognizing the NCRI as a legitimate democratic alternative to the current regime and affirming the Iranian people’s right to establish a secular, non-nuclear republic. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the NCRI, has articulated a ten-point plan as a roadmap for a future democratic republic of Iran. It has gained cross-party support of the majority of members of both the US House of Representatives and the UK House of Commons.
It is time for policymakers to act accordingly. The UK and European Union must designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, and democratic governments should hold Tehran’s leaders accountable for crimes against humanity. Most importantly, the West must acknowledge the Iranian people’s right to overthrow tyranny and build a democratic future.
Appeasement has never delivered stability. Courage, clarity, and solidarity with the Iranian people just might.
* * *
Rt. Hon. John Bercow was the Speaker of the UK House of Commons from 2009 to 2019.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Protest Against U.S. Attacks On Iran

It’s Time To Challenge Tehran’s Illusion Of Strength With Reality

Democracy

European Union

Great Britain

Radical Islamic Terror

In 1979, Iran’s revolutionaries — an <a href="https://institute.global/insights/geopolitics-and-security/ideology-and-irans-revolution-how-1979-changed-world">alliance</a> of Marxists and Islamists — rose on promises of justice and equality. They <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/2/5/the-ayatollahs-unkept-promises">pledged</a> to give citizens free water, free electricity, and free housing. The slogans captured a nation’s imagination, uniting two ideologies that despised each other but shared the same illusion: that moral purity and government control could replace economic discipline. Within years, the illusion <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/30/world-news/islamic-republic-close-to-collapse-in-iran-civil-war-possible-report/">collapsed</a>. Inflation exploded, jobs vanished, and the regime they created silenced its own believers.
Half a century later, in a different world and under a different flag, the same rhetoric echoes in New York City.
Assemblyman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/zohran-mamdani">Zohran Mamdani</a>, now running for mayor, calls for “people-powered politics” and promises “free” public services — fare-free buses, frozen rents, and new programs that would expand government dependency under the banner of compassion. It’s a playbook familiar to anyone who has studied <a href="https://diamond-democracy.stanford.edu/speaking/speeches/when-does-populism-become-threat-democracy">revolutionary populism</a>: identify inequality, moralize the problem, and promise paradise without explaining the cost.
Analysts <a href="https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/traffic_and_transit/2025/07/10/free-buses-could-slow-speeds-and-cost-more-">estimate</a> that making city buses free would erase about $700 million a year in fare revenue. Replacing that money would either require massive new taxes or more state debt. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) already <a href="https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/traffic_and_transit/2025/07/10/free-buses-could-slow-speeds-and-cost-more-">loses</a> roughly $1 billion annually to fare and toll evasion, including more than $500 million on buses alone. The Independent Budget Office <a href="https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/comments-on-new-york-citys-executive-budget-for-fiscal-year-2025-and-financial-plan-for-fiscal-years-2024-2028/#:~:text=With%20these%20adjustments%20based%20on,$13.00%20billion%20in%20FY%202028.">projects</a> multi-billion-dollar city deficits through 2028. To date, Mamdani has offered no serious proposal to offset the hundreds of millions in lost revenue.
That mindset is not new. In 1979, Iran’s revolutionaries <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/18468/#:~:text=In%201979%2C%20Ayatollah%20Khomeini%20gave%20his%20first,disappeared%20from%20the%20public%20archives%20in%20Iran.">said</a> oil revenues would pay for everything; in 2025, New York’s progressives say “the rich” will. The numbers never add up, but the slogans keep working because they appeal to emotion, not reason.
<div id="attachment_995421" style="width: 749px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-995421" class="size-large wp-image-995421" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2659698-739x576.jpg" alt="The Iranian Islamic Republic Army demonstrates in solidarity with people in the street during the Iranian revolution. They are carrying posters of the Ayatollah Khomeini, the Iranian religious and political leader. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)" width="739" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2659698-739x576.jpg 739w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2659698-300x234.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2659698-768x599.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2659698.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 739px) 100vw, 739px" />Keystone/Getty Images</div>
Adding to the picture, the Washington-based lobbying group <a href="https://www.meforum.org/mef-observer/how-the-iranian-regime-seeks-to-build-its-power-upon-american-naivete">NIAC</a>, often criticized for mirroring Tehran’s foreign-policy positions, recently <a href="https://x.com/NIACouncil/status/1982919590310011092">announced</a> its official endorsement of Mamdani. The symbolism is striking: the same organization that has long echoed and defended the Islamic Republic now throws its support behind a socialist-leaning candidate in America’s financial capital. The thread that connects them is ideological, a shared belief that moral virtue justifies economic fantasy.
This convergence of left-wing utopianism and moral absolutism should alarm anyone who cares about the survival of pragmatic politics. When ideology replaces arithmetic, cities fall into the same trap that ensnared nations. The faces and languages change, but the structure remains: emotional populism promising equality through control.
Iran’s tragedy began with chants about justice and dignity. Within a decade, the alliance between communists and clerics disintegrated, replaced by censorship, executions, and an economy under siege. The rhetoric of equality gave way to ration cards and ideological policing.
New York is obviously not Tehran. But when candidates promise unlimited benefits and moral purity while ignoring budgets, they are playing the same dangerous tune. No city, no matter how rich, can outspend reality. Populism always runs on borrowed time and borrowed money.
The warning isn’t about religion or class. It’s about patterns. In every era, radicals on the Left promise that compassion can be legislated and that economics will obey moral will. It never does. When leaders treat economics as politics and politics as faith, collapse follows.
In 1979, Iran’s revolutionaries told people to look up, and many claimed to see Ayatollah Khomeini’s face in the moon. The illusion was complete. New Yorkers shouldn’t make the same mistake on the skyline. Charisma is not competence, and utopia is never free.
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Dr. Aidin Panahi is an Iranian-American research professor, energy expert, and political activist. He is the co-founder of the “From Boston to Iran” initiative, and his analyses on security and policy issues have appeared in outlets including The Jerusalem Post, Washington Times, the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, Middle East Forum, Homeland Security Today, and Visegrád24. X: @Aidin_FreeIran
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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