<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Anti-</span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/government" rel="" target="" title="government"><span>government</span></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/protests" rel="" target="" title="protests"><span>protests</span></a><span> erupted in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/iran" rel="" target="" title="Tehran"><span>Tehran</span></a><span>, as Iranians angered by a flailing </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/economy" rel="" target="" title="economy"><span>economy</span></a><span> and crackdowns by security forces marched through the streets of the capital and shouted slogans against the ruling theocratic regime.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Authorities cut </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/internet" rel="" target="" title="internet"><span>internet</span></a><span> access and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/phones" rel="" target="" title="telephone"><span>telephone</span></a><span> lines in Iran immediately after the protests began.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An internet watchdog organisation described the move as a precursor to a possible violent crackdown, although the blackout did not immediately prevent the posting of videos of the protests.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/live-updates-victoria-fires-heatwaves-nsw-evacuations-warnings/b3dd925f-8fcf-45f9-bb78-be279eda0b24" target="_blank"><strong><span>Homes confirmed destroyed; Premier announces support payments; Thousands evacuated in bushfire crisis</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At least some of the protesters appeared to be heeding a call by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi to turn out.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One of the slogans shouted by the marchers was "This is the last battle, Pahlavi will return," according to a video reviewed by </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/meet-the-team/contributors/cnn" rel="" target="" title="CNN"><span>CNN</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As the latest protests unfolded, Pahlavi posted encouragement on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/twitter" rel="" target="" title="X"><span>X</span></a><span>, urging Iranians to "take to the streets and, as a united front, shout your demands".</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/street-protests-erupt-in-tehran-as-nationwide-antigovernment-turmoil-spreads/bdb8a376-fdd4-4c00-888b-698fab530873" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He added, "Rise Iran!"</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Footage verified by CNN showed mass protests in cities across Iran, with demonstrators blocking roads and setting fires in the streets of the capital.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the videos, opposing factions demonstrating across the country rallied around chants in support of and opposition to the Iranian government.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The unrest prompted </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="US"><span>US</span></a><span> President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> to repeat his threat to attack Iran if security forces kill protesters.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/iran-major-protests-currency-fall-social-restrictions/da07a3e2-322e-4c40-b655-4c78b21494d1" rel="" target="" title="Major protests, money crisis, drought: Iran's leaders face crisis"><strong><span>Major protests, money crisis, drought: Iran's leaders face crisis</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I have let them know that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots … we're going to hit them very hard," Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Protests fueled by crippling economic conditions have swept across Iran's provinces in recent days, as authorities revert to their tested playbook of cracking down without offering viable solutions to grievances driving public anger.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Millions of Iranians are grappling with rampant inflation and a plummeting </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/money" rel="" target="" title="currency"><span>currency</span></a><span>, and thousands have taken to the streets in demonstrations that turned violent after the deployment of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/government" rel="" target="" title="government"><span>government</span></a><span> security forces.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>What began last month as organised protests in Tehran's bazaars and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/university" rel="" target="" title="universities"><span>universities</span></a><span> has gradually spread to cities nationwide.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Experts said the leaderless and uncoordinated movement turned violent as economic protests intertwined with political ones.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This feels different because it's about the people's buying power, and people really can't afford anything," said a 30-year-old Tehran resident who spoke on the condition of anonymity.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Prices keep going up almost hour-by-hour at this point, but how it ends no one really knows … Everyone feels worried."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad told CNN's Jake Tapper on Thursday that the protests had expanded beyond economic matters.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is very clear that they're saying that this regime can no longer be reformed. So they're saying we want an end to the Islamic Republic," Alinejad said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She added that this wave of demonstrations felt different from before.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I even smell the freedom," Alinejad said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"When people go to the streets, they show their face. They say that we have no fear because we have nothing to lose."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/prime-minister-defends-bondi-beach-shooting-royal-commissioner-virginia-bell/4428e9b6-5efa-435b-9482-a0f299452120" target="_blank"><strong><span>Prime Minister rejects criticism of former judge leading Bondi attack royal commission</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>How did the protests start?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When shopkeepers in the narrow streets of Tehran's Grand Bazaar protested the government's failing economic policies last week, their chants rattled the regime.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Exacerbating the situation, the central bank decided last week to end a program allowing some importers to access cheaper US dollars compared to the rest of the market, a decision that led shopkeepers to increase prices.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prices of basic goods like cooking oil and chicken dramatically spiked overnight, and some products vanished altogether.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The volatility pushed the bazaaris to close shop, a drastic measure for a group traditionally supportive of the Islamic Republic.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After days of protests and crackdowns, the reformist-ruled government attempted to alleviate the pressure by offering direct cash handouts of almost $US7 ($10) per month, although it said at the same time that this measure alone could not solve the crisis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We should not expect the government to handle all of this alone," President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised speech.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/banya-truck-crash-toddlers-fighting-for-life-sunshine-coast-queensland-news/46080911-594d-40e0-b9fa-5417220f902f" target="_blank"><strong><span>Two toddlers fighting for life after major crash at Banya on the Sunshine Coast</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>How big are the protests now?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Iranian provinces as far west as Ilam, a Kurdish-majority region bordering Iraq, and Lorestan, have emerged as restive hot spots.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Fueled by ethnic division and poverty, crowds set fires in the streets and chanted "Death to Khamenei," directly challenging Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority over the nation's religious and state affairs.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Video geolocated by CNN to a public square in Mazandaran province in Iran's far north shows a large crowd of protesters calling for the removal of Khamenei.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is the year of blood," they chant, "Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) is going to fall."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Another piece of footage, also geolocated, shows a fire raging inside a government complex in Golestan province.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/minneapolis-ice-shooting-fbi-won-co-operate-with-state-investigators/b520c083-5f61-4e23-b9a0-bfd266da6702" target="_blank"><strong><span>FBI won't co-operate with state investigators in Minneapolis ICE shooting case</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a video distributed by Reuters, demonstrators in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Iran's second-largest and Khamenei's hometown, lowered and tore apart an Iranian flag.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The city of Ilam, capital of the province of the same name, became a focal point this week after wounded protesters were taken to a hospital.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Only for security forces to subsequently raid the facility and arrest them in an incident that sparked widespread condemnation from human rights groups and prompted the government to promise an investigation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Iranian state-affiliated Fars News Agency said 950 police officers and 60 personnel from the paramilitary Basij force have been injured in the protests, mostly in confrontations in western provinces with "rioters" who were "equipped with firearms, grenades and weapons."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>People in more than 100 cities have taken to the streets since demonstrations began 11 days ago, including the capital, Tehran.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At least 45 protesters, including eight children under the age of 18, have been killed in the first 12 days of ongoing nationwide protests in Iran, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights NGO (IHRNGO) reported Thursday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It said hundreds more have been injured and over 2000 people detained since demonstrations began on December 28, 2025.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"State forces have used live ammunition to suppress the protests and have carried out widespread, mass arrests in some cities," IHRNGO said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/luxury-boats-sink-in-sydney-marina-fire/17e40bfe-c093-4f9a-8769-7e9f0a689d58" target="_blank"><strong><span>Luxury yachts destroyed by fire at Sydney marina</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Iranian news outlets reported Thursday that at least five security personnel have also been killed in the unrest, including two members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>CNN could not independently verify the numbers of those killed and arrested, and Iranian state news organisations have sometimes reported individual deaths without providing a comprehensive tally.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a video from Tabriz released by IranWire, shots could be heard in the background as protesters walked on a roadway.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It was unclear whether the shots were from authorities using live rounds, and the source of the shots was out of frame.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Alp Toker, director of cybersecurity watchdog NetBlocks, told CNN that despite the internet and phone blackout, some Iranians have been able to access wifi by using "contraband terminal equipment" to connect to Starlink.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"National blackouts tend to be the regime's go-to strategy when deadly force is about to get used against protesters," Toker said, "with the goal being to prevent the spread of news of what's happening on ground, and also to limit international scrutiny."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>How are protests different this time?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ongoing protests are the biggest since the large-scale and deadly protests that were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the religious police in 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This time, the bazaaris, a powerful force for change in Iran's history and one that is seen as loyal to the regime, began the protests.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In an enduring alliance between the bazaaris and the Shiite Muslim clergy in Iran, the shopkeepers have played a crucial role as kingmakers across Iran's history.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It was their support for those very clergymen that eventually helped the Islamic Revolution of 1979 succeed, giving the rebels a financial backbone that led to the fall of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and, with it, the collapse of Iran's 2500-year-old monarchy.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The current protests also take place under rising foreign threats.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Just six months ago, Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran for the first time, with Trump raising the prospect of new attacks last week, just days after meeting </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/israel" rel="" target="" title="Israeli"><span>Israeli</span></a><span> Prime Minister </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/benjamin-netanyahu" rel="" target="" title="Benjamin Netanyahu"><span>Benjamin Netanyahu</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>What does it mean for the regime?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>During his campaign, Pezeshkian positioned himself as a champion of the working class, promising economic relief through reduced government intervention in the currency market while also blaming US sanctions, corruption and excessive money printing.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But corruption across all parts of government, mismanagement of funds and the convergence of environmental problems and stagnant leadership have the government on the brink.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than a year after he was voted in, the very working class he vowed to protect and the middle class that forms the backbone of the Iranian society are struggling.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>External factors such as crippling sanctions and a potential new war with the United States and Israel have left the state paranoid and the population anxious.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ongoing protests are the biggest public challenge to the regime since the 12-day war with Israel in June.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And since Iranians demonstrated against the killing of Amini, the young woman who was arrested for not abiding by the official dress code, the state now struggles to provide any tangible steps that could prevent eventual complete dysfunction.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/trevor-long-tech-review-australian-companies-on-world-stage/8e675316-5be0-46f0-a8dd-52d3b9419922" target="_blank"><strong><span>Australian technology companies making it big on the world stage</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Experts say that without a viable alternative to the current ruling system, protests are unlikely to instigate regime change, yet the widespread unrest underscores the profound crises confronting Iran's government.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"None of Iran's political leaders have a blueprint to get Iran out the crises," Arang Keshavarzian, an associate professor of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/middle-east" rel="" target="" title="Middle Eastern"><span>Middle Eastern</span></a><span> and Islamic studies at New York University, told CNN.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The only tool that the Islamic Republic truly has left is coercion and force. People have tried different methods to air their views," he added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But over the past 15 years, large segments of the population have lost trust in the regime and don't believe they are able and willing to actually listen to them and address their grievances and interests," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><em><strong><span>Apple App Store</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1"><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>.</span></strong></em></div></div>