Mass protests have erupted across Iran for five consecutive days that have threatened the repressive Islamic regime with violent revolution — and President Donald Trump has warned Iranian leaders that the U.S. will intervene if they kill the protesters.
Demonstrators have taken to the streets in dozens of cities to demand regime change as Iran grapples with a deepening economic crisis that has sent the currency plummeting and inflation soaring.
What began on December 28, 2025, as protests by shopkeepers and merchants against a catastrophic currency collapse has rapidly evolved into a full-scale political uprising. Protestors are openly calling for the overthrow of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic.
The demonstrations are the largest outbreak of unrest in Iran since the 2022-2023 protests following the murder of Mahsa Amini.
At least seven people have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters.
Opposition groups said that protests and street clashes continued Thursday morning in Tehran and in multiple other cities.
It’s time to stand with the people of Iran who are fighting for their freedom✌🏻
So where is Greta?
Where are the flotilla activists?
Where are the self-righteous liberals who have spent the past two years condemning Israel on the streets of London, Stockholm, and New York?
Where… pic.twitter.com/Fn6rvAPPg0— Daniel Schatz (@drdanielschatz) January 1, 2026
The Iranian rial collapsed to a historic low of around 1.42 to 1.45 million rials to the U.S. dollar when the protests began, compared with 820,000 rials a year ago. The rial has lost nearly half its value against the dollar in 2025, with inflation standing at about 50 percent in December.
Demonstrators have chanted anti-government slogans such as “Death to the Dictator” referring to Khamenei, “Pahlavi will return,” and “Long live the Shah.”
In Isfahan, nighttime protesters were filmed chanting “Don’t be afraid, we are all together” and “Death to the dictator.” In Dehloran and Baghmalek, demonstrators shouted pro-monarchy slogans including “This is the national slogan: Reza Pahlavi,” “Javid Shah” (“Long live the Shah”), and calls for Khamenei to be overthrown.
U.S. leadership has called for Iranian government to allow all peaceful protests.
U.S. Senator Rick Scott said he was encouraged to see Iranians “calling for an end to the abusive Iranian dictatorship” and urged them to keep standing up to the “evil regime.”
Republican Senator Pete Ricketts called for more pressure on Tehran as people risk their lives in the streets.
President Donald Trump pointed to Iran’s economic collapse and long-standing public discontent, and said the U.S. military would intervene if protesters were murdered by the Iranian government.
“If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” – President DONALD J. TRUMP pic.twitter.com/ctNbfJD9jv
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 2, 2026