Nationwide protests challenging Iran’s theocratic regime have continued for over two weeks, with demonstrators flooding the streets of the capital and the second-largest city. Activists reported that the violence surrounding the protests has resulted in the deaths of at least 116 individuals.
Due to the internet shutdown and severed phone lines in Iran, monitoring the demonstrations from outside the country has become increasingly challenging. The death toll has risen, and around 2,600 people have been detained, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Concerns exist that the information blackout may empower hard-liners within Iran’s security forces to launch a violent crackdown, despite warnings from Trump that he is prepared to intervene to protect the peaceful protesters.
Videos circulated from Iran, likely transmitted via Starlink satellite technology, depicted demonstrators congregating in northern Tehran’s Punak neighborhood. Streets were blocked off by authorities as protesters illuminated the area with their mobile phones, while others made noise with metal objects and fireworks. Additional footage showed protesters peacefully marching and honking car horns in solidarity.
“The pattern of protests in the capital has mainly consisted of sporadic, brief, and fluid gatherings, influenced by the heavy security presence and mounting pressure,” stated the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Reports indicated the presence of surveillance drones and security forces monitoring protest sites.
In Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, clashes between protesters and security forces were recorded, with debris and dumpsters set ablaze to block roads. Mashhad, housing the Imam Reza shrine, is a significant site in Shiite Islam.
Protests also erupted in Kerman, located 800 kilometers southeast of Tehran. Iranian state television showcased correspondents in various cities displaying calm scenes with a timestamp, excluding Tehran and Mashhad.
Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi called for demonstrators to join the protests on Sunday. Some protesters voiced support for the shah during the demonstrations, although it remains unclear whether this indicates backing for Pahlavi or a nostalgia for the era preceding the 1979 Islamic Revolution.