Reza Pahlavi, the exiled former crown prince of Iran who has emerged as a prominent voice in the fragmented opposition, yesterday made his strongest call yet for the protests to broaden into a revolt to topple the clerical regime, led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He encouraged protesters to “seize the centre of cities and hold them” while also targeting financial lifelines essential to the Islamic Republic’s operations.
This rallying call signals a shift in strategy for the demonstrators, moving beyond mere participation in protests to a more aggressive approach.
Pahlavi made his remarks on social media, urging citizens to take to the streets on specific dates and times, armed with flags and national symbols, to reclaim public spaces.
He emphasised the importance of creating a strong street presence as part of a co-ordinated effort not only to protest but to assert control over key urban areas, adding that the Islamic Republic would be “brought to its knees”.
Iran’s authorities indicated yesterday they could intensify their crackdown on the biggest anti-government demonstrations in years, with the Revolutionary Guards blaming unrest on terrorists and vowing to safeguard the governing system.
A day after President Donald Trump issued a new warning that the US could intervene, there were fresh reports of violence across the country, although an Internet blackout made it difficult to assess the full extent of unrest.
Despite the crackdown by the IRGC, Iranians defied Khamenei’s orders to stay at home. Thousands of people poured on to the streets of major Iranian cities chanting “death to the dictator”, showing no sign of backing down.
State media said a municipal building was set on fire in Karaj, west of Tehran, and blamed “rioters”. State TV broadcast footage of funerals of members of the security forces it said were killed in protests in the cities of Shiraz, Qom and Hamedan.
Footage posted on social media showed large crowds gathered in Tehran and fires lit in the street at night.
In a video showing a nighttime protest in Tehran’s Saadatabad district, a man is heard saying the crowd had taken over the area.
Protests have spread across Iran since December 28, beginning in response to soaring inflation, and quickly turning political with protesters demanding an end to clerical rule. Authorities accuse the US and Israel of fomenting unrest.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported the arrest of 100 “armed rioters” in the town of Baharestan near Tehran.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump’s warning, saying that the US would hold Iran accountable for violence against protesters.
“The United States supports the brave people of Iran,” Mr Rubio said.
The diplomatic clash escalated when the US dismissed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, as “delusional” after he accused Israel and Washington of fuelling the protests during a visit to Lebanon.
A US state department spokesman said: “This statement reflects a delusional attempt to deflect from the massive challenges the Iranian regime faces at home.”
Araghchi’s decision to make the accusations while visiting Lebanon suggested that the regime was seeking to rally regional allies, even as it faced mounting domestic pressure.
Unrest in Iran entered its 14th day yesterday, with authorities arresting more than 2,300 people across the country, including at least 166 minors, while security forces continued using live ammunition against demonstrators in cities large and small.
Yesterday morning, Iran’s army accused the US and Israel of orchestrating the unrest.
The army pledged that under Khamenei’s command, it would work alongside other armed forces to “powerfully protect and guard national interests, the country’s strategic infrastructure and public property” and would “seriously confront any conspiracy”.
The military’s intervention marks an escalation in the government’s response to protests. The protests rapidly spread to more than 340 locations across all 31 provinces.
Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, warned that security forces could be preparing to commit a “massacre under the cover of a sweeping communications blackout”.
Among the 60 killed are brothers Rasul and Reza Kadivorian, both construction workers killed during a protest in Kermanshah province on January 3.
Reza, 20, was shot dead during the demonstration. His younger brother Rasul, 17, was shot, and later died in hospital.
In Malekshahi in Ilam province, five people were killed in one of the deadliest single incidents when IRGC members climbed on to the roof of a two-storey building and opened fire on protesters
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