Protests erupted nationwide on January 8, 2026, following exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi’s call for demonstrations amid a 12-day uprising sparked by economic crisis including hyperinflation and bazaar strikes.
Demands have shifted from price grievances to open calls to oust Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the IRGC, spreading to over 100 cities with reports of attacks on government sites.
Iran imposed a near-total internet blackout that evening, rights groups noted 36 to 45 protester deaths and over 2,000 arrests since late December, and Pahlavi urged global leaders including President Trump—who called protesters ‘brave’—to support the movement.
