Numerous citizens of Tehran took to the streets to protest or chanted from their windows, as Prince Reza Pahlavi called on them from exile, on the 12th day of anti-government demonstrations that have spread to all provinces in Iran.
Prince Reza Pahlavi has called on citizens to demonstrate tonight and tomorrow at 20 p.m. local time. As soon as tonight's protest began, the authorities blocked access to the internet and telephone traffic, according to the Associated Press.
"Great Iranian nation, the eyes of the whole world are on you. Take to the streets and present your demands as a united front. I warn the Islamic Republic, its leader and the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution that the world and US President Donald Trump are watching you carefully. Repression of the people will not go unanswered," Reza Pahlavi said in the call.
Tonight's protest is the first test of the potential influence in Iran of Reza Pahlavi, whose terminally ill father, the autocratic pro-American Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (1941-1979), fled the country in January 1979 during the Islamic Revolution, just before the establishment of a hardline theocratic government.
As the clock struck 20 p.m., chants could be heard across Tehran, with thousands of people on the streets, witnesses said. Protesters chanted "Death to the dictator," referring to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and "Death to the Islamic Republic." Others praised the Shah, shouting: "This is the last battle! The Pahlavis will return."
The demonstrations tonight also included chants of praise for the late Shah, which in the past could have led to the death penalty, but now reflect the anger fueling the protests, which are rooted in citizens' dissatisfaction with the economic situation. It is unclear, however, whether the chants also mean support for Prince Reza Pahlavi, or are simply an expression of a desire to return to the times before the Islamic Revolution, according to the AP.
Pahlavi said he would outline further plans depending on the response to his invitation. He has previously been criticized for his support for Israel and the support he has received from Iran's arch-enemy, especially after the two countries' 12-day war in June last year.
Iranian officials have taken the announced protests seriously - media close to the government have announced that security forces will use drones to identify participants.
Iranian authorities have not commented in recent days on the extent of the latest wave of protests, which were taking place in many locations today even before the demonstrations at 20 p.m. However, media outlets close to the government are reporting deaths and injuries of security forces in the interior of the country.
At least 39 people have been killed and more than 2.260 arrested in violence linked to the latest wave of protests in Iran, according to the US-based Activists for Human Rights in Iran. The protests, which began on December 28, have spread to every one of Iran's 31 provinces, according to the group, which draws its data from a network of activists in Iran.
Trump warned Tehran that the US would "come to the aid" of Iranian protesters if the government killed them while they were peacefully protesting, to which Tehran responded harshly.
The latest protests are the most widespread in Iran since 2022, when millions demonstrated across the country over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who was arrested by morality police for not wearing a hijab in accordance with regulations.
The protests began on December 28, when shopkeepers took to the streets of Tehran to express anger over another sharp drop in the value of the Iranian currency, the rial, against the US dollar. Students soon joined the protests, which began to spread to other cities and rural areas.
The riyal sank to a record low this week and inflation soared to 40 percent after the United Nations reimposed sanctions on Iran in September over its nuclear program. The economic situation has also been worsened by the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June last year, which ended with US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
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