The nationwide uprising against Iran’s religious regime entered its 12th day on Thursday, as protesters intensified their actions by torching government buildings. Internet blackouts, a severe crackdown, and rising deaths have driven a sharp escalation in the unrest, which began on December 28 with a Tehran Bazaar closure and has since grown into a countrywide movement protesting the struggling economy.
In response, the Iranian government cut off internet and international phone services as calls for a nighttime protest led by exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi spurred crowds to rally across the country.
According to the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), a minimum of 42 individuals have lost their lives in the protests occurring from December 28, 2025, to January 8, 2026. The deaths comprise 29 civilian protesters, eight members of the security forces, and five minors under 18 years old, as stated in the report.
Over 85 million people in Iran lost internet access after government interference, with calls from Dubai to Iranian phones failing. Such outages often precede intensified crackdowns. Iranian state TV made no mention of the disruption, instead highlighting food subsidies during its Friday morning broadcast.
Protests erupted in 46 cities across 21 provinces, with market shutdowns and strikes in Kurdish regions. At least 60 people were arrested Thursday, raising total arrests since December 28 to over 2,277, including 166 minors and 48 university students. State media has aired 45 forced confessions.
Iran is grappling with a severe economic crisis as the rial’s collapse drives up prices for basic goods, with inflation hitting around 40%. The government has raised subsidized gasoline prices and plans quarterly price reviews, while the end of a preferential dollar-rial exchange rate is expected to worsen food costs.
Protests, which started in December among Tehran merchants, have evolved from economic grievances to broader anti-government demonstrations. Public anger has been escalating for years, especially after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Decades ago, Iran was a close U.S. ally under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, before the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew the monarchy and established the current theocratic government.
Pahlavi urged people to protest at 8:00 pm (local time) on Thursday and Friday. According to witnesses, when the time came, chants broke out in neighborhoods throughout Tehran.Protesters shouted, "Death to the dictator!" and "Death to the Islamic Republic!" while others praised the shah, declaring: "This is the last battle! Pahlavi will return!"