Iranian Protesters Remain On Streets As Trump Steps Up Pressure On Tehran

This article was originally published in Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Read the original article.

Iranian protesters showed no signs of letup as the country entered the 15th straight day of anti-government demonstrations despite a mounting crackdown by security forces as US President Donald Trump intensified pressure on the hard-line rulers in Tehran.

Anti-government chants could be heard on the streets of Tehran early on January 11, while rights groups and government media reported protests, arrests, and violence in dozens of other cities — with one rights group saying at least 116 people have been killed over the past two weeks.

In video verified by AFP, crowds were seen in northern Tehran shouting support for the long-ousted monarchy while lighting fireworks and banging on pots in defiance of authorities.

Trump maintained the pressure against Iran's authoritarian regime, which has ruled the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ousted US-allied Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who died in 1980 in exile in Egypt.

In a January 10 post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States "stands ready to help," reiterating support for the protesters after a series of warnings to Iranian authorities.

He later reposted a video by Fox News showing a protester briefly replacing the country's current flag with the former flag, utilized before the 1979 revolution.

Trump's latest comments come a day after he told a meeting of oil and gas executives at the White House that "Iran is in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago."

"We're watching the situation very carefully. I've made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts. That does not mean boots on the ground, but it does mean hitting them very, very hard where it hurts."

This was followed up by a short post on X by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 10, stating that the United States “supports the brave people of Iran.”

See Also: Iran Faces Widespread Unrest as Economic Protests Trigger Internet Blackout; Exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi Calls for Demonstration

Protests Rapidly Grow

The unrest appears to be the most serious challenge to Iran's theocratic government since the Women, Life, Freedom protests erupted following the September 2022 death of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish student Mahsa Amini while in police custody over a dress-code violation.

The latest protests, which began on Tehran's Grand Bazaar on December 28, quickly snowballed, spreading to dozens of towns and cities.

Authorities first throttled nationwide Internet speeds before enforcing a near-total blackout at 10:15 p.m. local time on January 8, severing phone lines as well.

With the blackout now lasting more than 48 hours there is no precise information about the number of people killed, injured, or detained across the country with widespread fears that the cut is being used to hide state violence against protesters.

CNN quoted a doctor in the northeastern city of Neyshabur as saying in an audio message that authorities had used “military rifles” to kill “at least 30 people” there on January 9.

“Among them were children. A 5-year-old child was shot while in their mother’s arms,” the doctor said.

“Hospitals are extremely chaotic and patients terrified to admit and be identified. For this reason, we are trying to inform people and treat them privately in clinics,” she said.

CNN said it could not immediately verify the report, but the Human Rights News Agency (HRANA) -- an organization of Iranian activists based in the United States -- said early on January 11 that 116 people had been killed in the protests over the past two weeks.

HRANA said at least 2,638 people have been arrested and that demonstrations were reported in 574 locations across 185 towns and cities amid a near-total Internet shutdown.

Amid the crackdown, the Iranian army issued a statement saying it would join other armed forces to "guard and protect the country's strategic infrastructure and public property" during the protests.

Anger Over Inflation, Ailing Currency

Driven by anger over soaring prices, inflation, and a plunging currency, the demonstrations swept across Iran after shopkeepers in Tehran went on strike over high prices and economic stagnation.

Economic woes have compounded years of political and environmental crises in Iran, including a severe drought in Tehran, a city of around 10 million people.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian tried to defuse the protests by promising "new decisions" to improve the economy, but the demonstrations soon expanded to include broader issues.

See Also: Widespread Protests Rock Iran Over Inflation, Falling Rial and Rising Living Costs; 7 Die in Clashes With Security Forces

However, the hard-line theocratic rulers have shown no conciliatory signs.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- the ultimate power in the country --- addressed supporters of the regime on January 9, saying that "saboteurs, agitators" had "destroyed the country's buildings to please" Trump.

Other voices from the West proclaimed support for the protesters as condemnation of Iran's rulers intensified worldwide.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on January 10 called on authorities to release all detained protesters and for full restoration of Internet access in the country.

"Tehran's streets, and cities around the world, echo with the footsteps of Iranian women and men demanding freedom," she wrote on social media.

"Freedom to speak, to gather, to travel and above all to live freely."

In a joint statement issued on January 9, the leaders of France, Germany, and Britain expressed “deep concern about reports of violence by Iranian security forces and strongly condemn the killing of protesters.”

'Admiration Of The World'

Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose father -- Iran's last shah -- issued a message of support on social media for the protesters, telling them that they have “won the admiration of the world with your courage and steadfastness” while announcing he was planning to return to Iran in the near future.

Protesters came out in force on January 8-9 following calls by Reza Pahlavi for sustained street demonstrations. It remains unclear how much support the family of the late shah has throughout Iran.

Copyright (c)2025 RFE/RL, Inc. Used with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

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