By Gao Yun
Over the past 24 hours, protests across multiple cities in Iran have continued to escalate. Demonstrators, while chanting anti-regime slogans, have called on the international community to pay attention to the intensifying domestic crackdown and have sought help from U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to Iran International, a video released on Jan. 7 showed a protester in Tehran symbolically renaming a street “Trump Street.” Other videos showed demonstrators holding handwritten signs reading, “Don’t let them kill us.”
Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, posted related videos on X, noting that since Trump commented on the Iranian protests, scenes have emerged of Iranian protesters expressing gratitude or signaling support by renaming streets.
As protests continue, Iranian authorities are intensifying repression. Sky News reported that security forces have deployed armed personnel near several major civilian areas in Tehran and have used tear gas to disperse crowds.
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
Exiled Iranian opposition leader Reza Pahlavi posted a video on social media on Wednesday directly addressing members of Iran’s armed forces, urging them to side with the people. He said the Islamic regime is at a critical moment, and joining the public would earn the nation’s respect, adding that he plans to return to Iran “at the last moment.”
In the video, Pahlavi said Iranian military and police face a choice: “Stand with criminals or stand with the people?” He emphasized that the regime’s survival is no longer a question of collapse but merely a matter of time, and that this moment is closer than ever.
Iran protests a historic opportunity
Additionally, in a Tuesday interview on Hannity, Pahlavi said the current unrest presents a historic opportunity to end the Islamic Republic of Iran.
He noted that protests have spread to over 100 cities nationwide, with unprecedented scale, and emphasized that the participation of traditional merchant classes is critical, highlighting changes in domestic bazaars as a key turning point. He argued that as defections increase, the regime is visibly weakened.
According to Iran International, in the past 24 hours, protests and strikes have continued in Tehran, Tabriz, Qazvin, Kermanshah, Kerman, Shiraz, Falavarjan, and Bandar Abbas, among other cities.
Tehran’s Grand Bazaar remains a protest focal point, with large numbers of demonstrators chanting against the leadership, while authorities respond with tear gas and armed deployments. Security actions have reportedly extended to sensitive civilian areas. Videos released by Iran International show tear gas being used near or inside Sina Hospital in Tehran, as well as around the Plasco Shopping Center.
As protests persist, casualties and arrests continue to rise. Iran International, citing the Human Rights Activists News Agency, reported that at least 36 people have died since the protests began, including 34 protesters and 2 security personnel, with more than 2,000 arrests nationwide.
Recent footage also shows arson protests on the streets of Shiraz, with demonstrators shouting “Down with Khamenei,” targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In Qazvin, protesters called on law enforcement to “return to the people’s side.”
Meanwhile, workers have also joined the protests. Reports indicate a strike at the South Pars gas refinery, with widespread shop closures in major markets in Tehran and Tabriz.
