TERRAN – Protests across Iran have surged in a way opposition voices and activists abroad call the biggest threat to the Islamic Republic since 1979. In city after city, crowds have torched mosques, hit government sites, and attacked symbols tied to clerical power.
Women have also burned mandatory hijabs in public, a blunt act of defiance that recalls the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom protests, but appears broader and more confrontational.
The unrest is now in its third week. It began on December 28, 2025, driven by economic strain, soaring inflation, a crashing rial, and growing shortages. Early rallies started among merchants, truckers, and workers in places such as Bandar Abbas.
Within days, chants shifted from economic anger to demands for the fall of the regime. By early January 2026, demonstrations had reached all 31 provinces. Many point to years of resentment after past crackdowns, plus a government seen as weakened after recent regional blows, including a 12-day war with Israel.
Economic Anger in Iran Turns Into Attacks
Videos and eyewitness reports, shared despite near-total internet shutdowns, show crowds lighting fires at mosques in Tehran neighborhoods such as Saadat Abad and Gholhak. One verified video dated January 8 shows the Al-Rasool Mosque burning as people chant “Death to the dictator” and wave pre-revolution Lion and Sun flags. State outlets, including Press TV, have aired images of the damage. They describe those involved as “rioters” supported by foreign enemies, naming the United States and Israel.
Anti-regime sources say more than 30 mosques have been attacked nationwide. Other reported targets include seminaries in Mashhad, Islamic Republic Broadcasting offices in Isfahan, and vehicles tied to security units.
In southern cities such as Lordegan and Fasa, protesters have pushed into administrative offices, Foundation of Martyrs buildings, and banks. Videos also show crowds burning pictures of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Iranian flag. In some clips, women use the flames to light cigarettes, a message meant to show full rejection of clerical rule.
Hijab burnings have become one of the clearest images of this wave. Young women in Tehran and other cities take off their headscarves, set them on fire, and walk uncovered in public. That directly challenges the state’s core policy of forced Islamic dress.
Many tie this defiance to Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish woman whose death in morality police custody in 2022 sparked nationwide outrage. That movement was crushed with deadly force and mass arrests, but analysts say public trust in the government has slipped even more since then.
Regime Pushes Back Hard
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has denounced the crowds as “saboteurs” and “vandals,” insisting they are being steered by foreign powers. In a televised speech on January 9, he promised “no leniency.” Security forces have answered with live fire, tear gas, and large-scale arrests.
Human rights groups, including Iran Human Rights and the Center for Human Rights in Iran, say at least 51 people have been killed since late December, including minors, with hundreds more hurt. Reports say hospitals in Tehran, Mashhad, and Karaj are struggling under the load.
On January 8, authorities rolled out wide internet and communications restrictions. The blackout has limited outside reporting and led Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi to warn that mass killings could be hidden from the public. Even so, protests have continued. Crowds have returned to streets in Tehran, Karaj, Zahedan, Tabriz, and Qom, even after deadly crackdowns.
Tehran’s prosecutor has threatened death sentences for people accused of burning state buildings or fighting security forces. The army and the IRGC have mobilized, but some reports suggest units are stretched and have pulled back in places due to the size of the crowds.
Regime Change Chants Grow
Many protesters now call openly for regime change. Some back a return of the monarchy under Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince. He has called for a peaceful transition and a referendum on Iran’s future. The movement has no clear leadership on the ground, but its reach appears to have grown since his January 8 call for large demonstrations.
Outside Iran, the United States under President Donald Trump has issued warnings, saying the U.S. would step in if authorities increase killings. Leaders in Europe, including Germany, France, and the UK, have condemned the crackdown and urged Iran to restore internet access. Airlines have also canceled flights into Iran as the situation worsens.
A Moment That Could Redefine Iran
Iran’s leadership blames “Zionist” and American interference. Analysts point to pressures at home, including economic breakdown, uneven hijab enforcement, a high number of executions (reported as more than 1,500 in 2025), and stress linked to war.
As the uprising moves deeper into its second week, the torching of mosques and the burning of hijabs mark a sharp symbolic break. These acts strike at institutions that sit at the center of the Islamic Republic. It’s not clear if this ends with the regime falling or a harsher crackdown. For many Iranians in the streets, it looks like a point of no return.
With communication lines cut and violence rising, the world is watching a country under extreme pressure. The next days may shape whether 2026 becomes the year Iran’s theocracy collapses, or holds on through more bloodshed.
