Iran has seen renewed nationwide protests in recent days, with demonstrations reported in Tehran, Mashhad, Shiraz, and dozens of other cities. From the United States, Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, issued a video message calling on demonstrators to move beyond street protests and begin occupying city centers, framing the moment as a decisive phase in opposition to the Islamic Republic.
Pahlavi praised protesters for their persistence and suggested that his return to Iran could be approaching. Some demonstrations have featured monarchist slogans, including chants referencing the former shah, though the extent of popular support for restorationist politics remains unclear. Pahlavi has lived in exile since the 1979 revolution that ended his father’s rule.
Assessing the scope and human cost of the protests remains difficult. Foreign journalists are barred from Iran, and authorities have imposed sweeping internet restrictions since Thursday evening, limiting independent verification. Iranian human rights organizations based abroad report at least dozens of deaths and thousands of arrests, while some medical sources cited by international media claim significantly higher figures.
Iranian authorities dispute these claims, stating that casualty numbers circulated by foreign outlets are exaggerated or fabricated. Officials acknowledge deaths and injuries but emphasize that members of the security forces have also been killed, including personnel from the Basij militia, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. State television has aired funeral ceremonies for fallen security personnel, framing the unrest as violent and organized rather than peaceful.
Accounts from medical staff, communicated through satellite connections, describe hospitals in cities such as Tehran and Shiraz operating under severe strain, with large numbers of injured people arriving in short periods. Some doctors report gunshot wounds among patients, including injuries to the head and eyes, while also noting shortages of staff and supplies.
At the same time, Iranian officials have accused protesters of attacking public infrastructure, setting fires, and endangering medical facilities, arguing that emergency pressures are the result of unrest rather than state policy. Authorities say hospitals remain operational and deny targeting medical services.
Iran’s judiciary has issued stark warnings, stating that those involved in vandalism or armed violence will face severe punishment, including the possibility of capital sentences. Prosecutors describe the protests as riots orchestrated by hostile foreign actors, rather than spontaneous domestic dissent.
In a recent televised address, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused demonstrators of serving external agendas, saying they were destabilizing their own cities to please foreign powers. State media has echoed this framing, portraying protesters as instruments of the United States and Israel, and emphasizing Iran’s experience with foreign interference in its modern history.
The unrest has drawn strong reactions from abroad. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly warned Iran’s leadership against using lethal force, statements that Iranian officials cite as evidence of outside involvement. Tehran has long argued that such rhetoric undermines Iranian sovereignty and inflames internal tensions.
The protests are the largest since demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, an event that remains a reference point for both critics of the state and defenders of the system. While grievances today include economic hardship, corruption, and political representation, the government maintains that reform must occur within constitutional and religious frameworks, not through street pressure or foreign-backed movements.
What is unfolding in Iran is not only a confrontation between protesters and the state, but a broader struggle over legitimacy, authority, and national direction. For supporters of the Islamic Republic, stability and resistance to foreign pressure remain paramount. For protesters, the demonstrations represent accumulated frustration with economic conditions and political constraints.
With communications restricted and narratives sharply polarized, the full picture remains incomplete. What is clear is that Iran is once again navigating a volatile period where domestic discontent, exile politics, and international pressure intersect, shaping a moment whose outcome remains uncertain.