Thousands on streets, Soleimani statue down: How Iran protests have intensified

Mangalore Today News Network

Iran, January 9, 2026: Thousands have hit the streets, dozens have died, buildings and statues have been set afire in Iran where tensions surrounding protests against the leadership and dwindling economy saw an overnight escalation to an all-time high on Thursday, prompting authorities to resort to a nationwide internet shutdown.

The protests reportedly intensified after exiled prince Reza Pahlavi’s battle cry.

tal Tehran. Protesters on Thursday walked through the streets and chanted slogans against Iran’s clerical leadership which has been facing a public outrage over the dwindling economy. 

Demonstrators were seen repeating slogans against the clerical leadership, including "Pahlavi will return" and "Seyyed Ali will be toppled", in reference to Khamenei

Internet was reportedly shut down across Iran and at least 42 people have been killed since the protests began last month, according to reports. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Thursday and said repeated that the US would take strong action if Iran kills protesters.

Here are five top points on the massive stir in Iran:

1. The protests in Iran started on December 28 with a shutdown in Tehran Bazaar over the nation’s falling economy as inflation officially rose to 42.5 per cent in December 2025. University students joined the stir which turned into a nation-wide protest soon after. The Iranian state media broke its silence Friday over the demonstrations, alleging “terrorist agents” of the US and Israel set fires and sparked violence. The brief report buried in state TV’s 8 am broadcast represented the first official word about the demonstrations, Associated press reported.

2. Amid growing resentment against Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, protesters are calling for the toppling of Iran’s clerical leadership under Khamenei and return of crown prince Reza Pahlavi. Khamenei had recently issued a warning in first his comments over the protests in the country and declared that “rioters must be put in their place”. “What turned the tide of the protests was former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi’s calls for Iranians to take to the streets at 8 pm on Thursday and Friday,” Associated Press quoted Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 

3. After over a week of simmering tension, massive crowds poured out on streets in Tehran and other cities such as Mashhad on Thursday night as anti-government protests in Iran intensified. The nighttime protest called by the country’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, drew a mass of protesters to shout from their windows and storm the streets, the Associated Press reported.

4. Protesters in Kuhchenar in the southern Fars province also pulled down the statue of the former foreign operations commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US strike in January 2020, AFP reported. HT.com could not independently verify when the Soleimani statue was pulled down.

5. Condemning the communication blockade in Iran, exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi called on all European leaders to follow the lead of President Donald Trump in "supporting the people of Iran" and "holding the regime to account". He thanked US President Donald Trump for his promise to hold the Iranian regime accountable and called for European leaders to follow suit. Pahlavi called for the use of "all technical, financial, and diplomatic resources available to restore communication to the Iranian people so that their voice and their will can be heard and seen."

Why is Iran protesting?

Protest rallies that started in Tehran have now spread to 348 locations in all of Iran’s 31 provinces., according to HRANA. The agitation in Iran started on December 28 with a shutdown in Tehran Bazaar over the nation’s falling economy. University students joined the protests which turned into a nation-wide protest. According to HRANA, 34 universities have so far been involved in the protests, with a total of 46 gatherings held on university campuses.