Iran Regime Kills Protesters as Unrest and Calls for Regime Change Spread Nationwide
Protests in Iran, which have been ongoing for at least five days, turned deadly as unrest spread to at least 17 of the country’s 31 provinces on December 31. The Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for the Study of War recorded 31 separate demonstrations that day, up from 24 the previous day. The unrest reached the holy city of Qom, a core stronghold of the Islamic Republic, marking a significant symbolic breach.
The demonstrations erupted after Iran’s currency, the rial, plunged to record lows, sharply increasing inflation and living costs. What began with protests by shopkeepers at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar quickly spread to cities including Isfahan, Yazd, Zanjan, Kuhdasht, and Fasa.
As the unrest expanded, Iranian security forces escalated their response. Live ammunition was used to disperse protesters in Fasa and Kuhdasht, particularly in smaller and rural areas where the regime has historically struggled to maintain control, while water cannons were deployed against demonstrators in Hamedan and Arak despite Iran’s ongoing water crisis.
The violence turned deadly in several locations. In western Lorestan, state media reported that a 21-year-old member of the Basij paramilitary force was killed and 13 others wounded during clashes. At least one protester, 37-year-old Dariush Ansari Bakhtiarvand, was shot dead by security forces in Fooladshahr, Isfahan Province, with reports of additional fatalities in Lordegan. In southern Fars Province, security forces opened fire as protesters attempted to storm a government building, injuring several officers and leading to multiple arrests
President Masoud Pezeshkian called for national unity and blamed foreign pressure for the unrest, framing the protests as economically driven by inflation and rising living costs and accusing “hostile elements” of exploiting public anger. At the same time, protest slogans reflected a clear shift from economic grievances to open rejection of clerical rule.
He described the situation as a “full-scale war” waged through economic pressure and urged solidarity. Government officials promised dialogue and acknowledged the right to peaceful assembly, even as Iran’s top prosecutor warned of a decisive response if the protests turned violent or threatened public order.
Demonstrators chanted “Death to the dictator,” referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran,” criticizing the regime’s foreign policy priorities.
Calls for resistance echoed across cities, with chants such as “Don’t be afraid, we are all together,” “Iranians, cry out, shout for your rights,” and “This is the year of blood, Seyed Ali will be overthrown,” directly invoking the name of Iran’s Ayatollah.
Pro-monarchy slogans featured prominently in protests across Iran, particularly in Qom. Protesters chanted “Long live the Shah” and voiced support for exiled prince Reza Pahlavi, with demonstrators in cities such as Dehloran and Baghmalek shouting “This is the national slogan: Reza Pahlavi” and “Javid Shah.” Some invoked Persian mythology, chanting “The Shah is coming home, Zahhak is overthrown.”
Reza Pahlavi is the son of the last Shah and heir to the defunct Peacock Throne. He lives in exile in the United States and has become increasingly vocal about supporting Iran’s opposition movements. Some Iranians, particularly monarchists, view him as a potential alternative to the current regime, though this represents only one faction within Iran’s diverse opposition.
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