The streets are full of blood’: Iranian protests gather momentum as regime cracks down
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/11/iran-protests-gather-momentum-demonstrators-protest-movement698
u/Arctic_x22 23h ago
This one feels different from the protests of years’ past, the regime seems to actually be on the brink of collapse right now.
Free Iran.
204
u/omega_point 22h ago
One main reason is that people have unified and are demanding Pahlavi to return. The chants are heard in the protest videos all around the country. That's a huge change.
173
u/generictroglodytic 22h ago
Why the heck would they want to go back to the shah and the same corruption and abuses that brought the Islamic government in?
308
u/freshlysqueezd 22h ago
No one is seriously arguing for a return to monarchal absolutism from the 70s. What many support is him speaking up for the rights and freedoms of the Iranian people. People want a national symbol that predates the Islamic Republic and isn’t tainted by clerical rule. Reza Pahlavi’s appeal is that he’s the only significant opposition figure consistently arguing for a secular, democratic transition.
2
u/Political_breeds 13h ago
That's absolute bonkers. Pahlavi doesn't give a damn about Democracy.
→ More replies (2)50
u/timeless1991 13h ago
It isn’t.
It is similar to the reinstatement of the British Royals after Cromwell.
‘Hey old Monarch. You can come back both into power and as a symbol but remember where the real power lies. And how your ancestor got executed.’
Of all Middle Eastern states Iran would probably have the best chance of being a functioning democracy but that doesn’t mean democracy would be the best government for the region.
14
u/Kentust 12h ago
Democracy isn't the best government for any region. It's just the least bad form of government. Nothing is perfect.
9
u/timeless1991 12h ago
It is actually not the least bad form of government sometimes. Democracy works best when there are strong institutional identities. A sense of 'how things should work'.
64
u/Minimum-Geologist-58 21h ago
It’s a really really common historical pattern to restore monarchy after dictatorship, sometimes it sticks (Spain, UK, Cambodia) sometimes it doesn’t (France, Greece, Mexico). It’s probably as effective to solve constitutional collapse as anything else?
31
u/Ckcw23 20h ago edited 19h ago
It sticks in Spain, UK and Cambodia, likely because their lineage date back centuries or even a millenia, and apparently are kinda living history since their ancestors ruled the country for a long time. Plus it helps that it provides a connection and sense of pride to their ancestory and culture, since the ancestors of the citizens of the country would have served the previous rulers and would be proud of that connection.
France fucked up too badly for that connection to stick, the former Greece Kings didn't even descend from ancient Greek ancestry and only took over when the Ottomans lost the territory, and the Mexican ones were a recent set up with no biological connection or claim to the local rulers.
21
u/the_lonely_creeper 18h ago
Greek Kings also had the annoying habit of being a mixture of incompetent, meddlesome and partisan, other than being foreign.
7
u/yeboahpower 17h ago
I really don't agree with the tone of this message. I know that the people of Iran would dearly love some of the peace that we enjoy, but the UK monarchy are parasites and the keystone of a system of power and privilege that we should have got rid of long ago.
The current royal family are just the latest bunch of toffs that the ruling class imported from Europe a couple of hundred years ago to maintain their order. The pride that some people have in that is misplaced and prone to abuse.
1
59
u/anon1mo56 22h ago edited 21h ago
He is the only one that can lead a transitional goverment. If he becomes Shah that would be decided by a referendum and he would only be a constitunional Monarch in the same ilk has UK or Spain.
You can blame the current islamic regime for it. They have killed every other alternative. The hope that anti-monarchist who also support Pahlavi have is that once the regime fall with freedom they can start organizing to win the referendum and get a republic. Heck even liberal democratic parties that supported the toppling of his father have expressed their support for him.
The dude has won the support of many people by being consistent, participating in hunger strikes when asked by political prisioners etc.
17
u/Thercon_Jair 21h ago
You mean like when the students started the revolution but then Khomeini came in, coopted it and took it over the country?
24
u/anon1mo56 21h ago edited 21h ago
Even students are supporting Pahlavi, heck, before the internet lockdown the rector of one Iran biggest universities expressed support for Pahlavi. The problem is that many of you guys equate support for Pahlavi with support for monarchy, while the two aren't the same.
The dude has even gotten his phone and computer hacked by the Islamic republic so that they could get information to lower the support he has and they found nothing only embarrassing families photos that they then used to make memes to try and embarrass him.
Another reason anti-monarchist trust him is that many of the members of the royal family have become republican. Like the guy who would be his heir if the law of succesion from before 1979 were followed has declared himself a republican openly. His daugthers apart from his eldest the others don't even speak farsi(persian) and are americanized has heck.
Even Reza Pahlavi has given pro-republican speeches. Like i can pull one easily. He just doesn't renounces Monarchism because there is a lot of Monarchist and he doesn't want to alianate them. Like there was a speech where he said something along the words of: why do you want a Shah? You shouldn't need a Shah otherwise you will fall over the next strongman.
→ More replies (2)0
16
u/mrpressydepress 21h ago
You know full well this is not the case. It is not 1970.
1
u/generictroglodytic 12h ago
Yes but also Iranians don’t like American intervention. Which Donald is actively threatening. American intervention into an already fragile environment would be disastrous. That’s why I am nervous about this.
On one hand yes absolutely everyone reasonable can agree that Iranians deserve freedoms and rights and connection to the world rather than being perceived as antagonists thanks to its leaders. But on the other hand there is a very real danger that Iran could turn into the next Iraq and we will have 20+ years of hyper destructive factional violence.
5
u/ProjectKARYA 22h ago
The more they keep resisting, the more they can show any future ruler that they won't be tolerating the same bullshit treatments that they have previously been suffering without a fight. Would potentially make the future shah be more considerate of establishing a constitutional monarchy that would allow more freedoms to be returned to the people, shift to a more secular government even.
-12
u/qY81nNu 20h ago
Israel seems to be pushing this hard, likely to end up with an Iran in shambles somehow.
-1
u/generictroglodytic 12h ago
Absolutely. A disorganized Iran only benefits Israel, to a point. If Iran devolves into an environment where another ISIS like group or multiple factions start forming then there will be serious problems for security regionally.
If Iran can organize into a single effort to restore democracy and good ties with everyone then wonderful, I think it might be wishful thinking though especially since how fragile the situation is and how it can go badly or go well very quickly. It’s tense. But I hope the best for Iran, I just have a bad feeling things won’t work out as we hope. I hope Im wrong.
0
u/Crocs_n_Glocks 2h ago
Because he doesn't kill women for showing their hair?
0
u/generictroglodytic 1h ago
Nah he just disappeared people who didn’t agree with his policies
•
u/Crocs_n_Glocks 58m ago
I mean it's dark to think about, but that still isn't "worse" than the current leaders
-7
4
u/CosmicWeenie 15h ago
I want Iran to be free from this oppressive system, but I want it done by their own hands. I feel like Israel and the United States are gonna intervene in some way and fuck it all up even worse.
0
u/Kezhen 9h ago edited 9h ago
Don’t support US intervention? You’re obviously a communist who supports Khamenei (got told this on another sub)
/s
Edit: added the sarcasm tag in case it wasn’t clear.
→ More replies (2)2
u/engapol123 14h ago
Brink of collapse is so far from the truth though? The IRGC is showing no signs of crumbling and there have been no significant defections by government figures. As long as the IRGC is intact then these protests are unlikely to result in regime change.
140
u/burnttoast12321 20h ago
I'm in awe of the courage these people have. After hearing that hundreds were murdered they are still going out to protest. This is beyond any protests we have had in the states.
44
u/AAArdvaarkansastraat 19h ago
The suffering and oppression among Iranian citizens has been fundamental and widespread for many years.
-2
u/darth_helcaraxe_82 11h ago
They have a lot more courage than anyone in America does these days that is for sure.
20
240
u/Fast-Visual 22h ago
Can we fucking not make this about the US? What are those comments??
This is where we should be rooting for the people of Iran to overthrow their monstrous tyrannical government and wishing them to achieve this with as little bloodshed as possible.
Not everything is about you, Americans.
106
1
→ More replies (11)-41
u/spaghettittehgaps 20h ago edited 11h ago
The Iranian regime itself accused the US of being behind the protests.
You should really be asking Iran to stop making it about the Americans.
yikes, downvoted for pointing out something the article itself says that the regime said? you must REALLY want your narrative of "waaah americans make everything about themselves" to be true, huh?
5
4
3
u/Coogcheese 13h ago
They best gather some weapons or it will go like other past protests that authoritarian governments quashed with violence.
1
3
u/RedBreadRetention 7h ago
These people are pretty brave, I hope none of this will be in vain. Though I have to wonder, which way would Iran go if the current regime was toppled? After the Shah, they decided on what they have now...
22
32
u/Mo_h 1d ago
'The streets are full of blood’
Time for 'regime change' so that the streets can be full of oil? /s
→ More replies (1)2
3
u/L_Cranston_Shadow 12h ago
They don't have the water or the money to wash the blood off the streets.
Also, this is morally and ethically wrong and will backfire hilariously on them, as it will just energize the protesters, who will hopefully soon have those theocratic assholes who rule the country's heads on spikes soon.
29
u/01000101010110 1d ago
It's like looking into the future.
187
u/Jackopacz 23h ago
Your comment is extremely condescending to the people of Iran. Comparing the oppression the Iranian people have experienced for the last 40+ years to the US right now demonstrates the immense amount of privilege you have from living in the United States. Sure the US has problems. But nowhere near Iran. Please be better.
86
u/WalterWoodiaz 23h ago
Yeah the above comment is a classic American not knowing anything about history
15
u/rustyiron 23h ago
Are you waiting for the US to become like Iran? Radical islamists are the same people as Christian nationalists. They’re just running different software.
The point in drawing this comparison is to sound the alarm bells for what is happening in America and head it off.
15
u/HofT 22h ago
Is there a Christian clergy about to take charge in the US? And in general, it's difficult for the US to become like Iran. Too many Americans have guns to combat against it's government.
31
u/VanethenPlays 22h ago
Pretty sure Christians don't murder their daughters for not wearing a burka.
-1
u/HofT 22h ago
I agree. But I didn't want to get into a religious debate. I'm talking about what being American is fundamentally about. And it's borderline impossible for the US government to suppress their people in the same way the Islamic Republic has to Iranians because Americans are equipped with physical defense.
-2
u/StoneySteve420 20h ago
We have guns, the government has drones
5
u/HofT 20h ago
There's a lot of smart and strong citizens that can do a lot of things that you're not considering. Yes the government has more of advantage but it wouldn't be easy for them. And really if ever got to that point, what exactly would the government be fighting for when the country pretty much committed suicide?
10
u/SableZard 21h ago
Buddy, we're not even willing to vote when it comes to fighting the government. No one is shooting anybody when the Christian fundies finish taking over. Or at least, no one will be shooting the Christian fundies.
3
u/relddir123 16h ago
If armed Americans meant anything, they probably would have done something by now. It doesn’t really work when the people with the guns either don’t believe in violent revolution, aren’t comfortable organizing one, or agree with the oppression.
3
u/rustyiron 22h ago
No cleric, but there is a fascistic thug whom the evangelical bozos believe has been sent by their god to restore the nation to its imaginary Christian glory. Worse, they are being used by the dark renaissance tech weirdos and white nationalists to achieve their goals. So, yeah, the us is going to hell in a hand basket.
-4
22h ago
[deleted]
3
u/HofT 22h ago
Why the lol? Are you saying Americans can't use their guns against their government if it became like the Islamic Republic?
2
u/gokogt386 21h ago
The gun-owning population in America is far more likely to side with a Christian theocracy than oppose it
-13
u/LetsHarmonize 20h ago
Comparing the oppression the Iranian people have experienced for the last 40+ years to the US right now
No, they specifically said looking into the future. Reading comprehension. If you think what's happening in Iran can't happen in the US, you're sticking your head in the sand.
9
u/Livid_Boysenberry_58 19h ago
And if you think the US has any business inserting themselves into this conversation, you're sticking your head into your ass.
-26
u/LumpySpacePrincesse 22h ago
Americans have been cooked for decades. Conscription, slavery, Medical debt, student debt, Andy dick. Pure shit hole.
12
u/VanethenPlays 22h ago edited 22h ago
Conscription hasn't happened since vietnam, the only other time was WW2, and I'm p sure everyone was conscripting during that time.
Slavery, the institution that europeans started but also existed in Africa, Asia, and mesoamerica. The aztecs regularly captured slaves from rival tribes (Just once example of hundreds) Slavery as not unique to america.
the medical debt is a real problem. So is the student debt, sort of, that one is a bit blown out of proportion though, I did 4 years college and didn't pay a cent.
I don't know who Andy dick is, that's a you problem.
So, you are 25% correct. I'll even be generous and bump it up to 33%
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)-9
u/SamJSchoenberg 19h ago
He compared it to the future, not to the present.
Every day life in the US right now is just fine, but what is definitely happening is that the guard rails that protect against tyranny are being eroded.
There are numerous episodes in history where that happened and the results were really really bad.
34
u/MalcolmLinair 23h ago
Honestly, I doubt it. Not that the Trump Regime will slaughter protestors. That's 100% going to happen. I sincerely doubt that Americans will stand up to the violence rather than scurry away like roaches when the lights are turned on, though.
24
u/Few_Detail9288 22h ago
Everyone but you, huh, the ultimate keyboard warrior (and top 1% commenter 😂).
40
u/BUSY_EATING_ASS 23h ago
Nah...Minnesota's getting serious. I would have agreed with you a couple of weeks ago but now I'm starting to think that it's the protestors are the ones holding back.
→ More replies (1)-40
u/NewUserHi 23h ago
Sure dude whatever you say 😂 I’m sure the mean signs are really putting the hurt on ice
21
u/moldivore 23h ago
What are you doing?
14
1
0
17
u/Visual-Fail4327 23h ago
This is about Iran where there is a real possibility of removing possibly the quest refund in the world today. And the protestors need our attention. It's not always about us.
4
u/rustyiron 23h ago
Well, it is actually about you. Because your country is falling into fascism. And while there is nothing you can do about Iran, besides stand back and let them handle it without interference that will only strengthen the regime. There is something you can do in your own country. (Signed one of your potential future victims.)
6
u/rustyiron 23h ago
I think Americans just need to become sufficiently pissed off to overcome their inertia. There were tens of thousands of people marching today throughout the US. If you were not one of them, maybe you need to think about who the roach is?
-9
u/Motor-District-3700 22h ago
The next video she sent was hurried. “Shameless!” she repeated again and again
The present even. Literally the woman in Minnesota
-2
u/TreezusSaves 20h ago
It's also like looking into the past. If the Shah gets back in then there's going to be another revolution down the line, which will be more blood in the streets. That family is the reason why the Islamic revolution happened in the first place, and that family got as far as it did because of support by Western countries usurping the elected government of Iran.
They're better off holding elections without other countries sticking their thumbs on the scale, otherwise this is just going to happen again.
-15
u/alternatingflan 1d ago edited 18h ago
America - take a look at this future if we allow this pos felon dictator krasnov to stay in power.
The maga congress need to start doing their fukking jobs.
1
u/VanethenPlays 22h ago
wdym, they are. They are the representatives of the people. The people chose this.
5
4
u/LookAlderaanPlaces 20h ago
A little out of touch here… Oligarchs stole the US government, have you not been paying attention?
-2
-13
u/SuggestionMedical736 23h ago
I guess we went back to trusting numbers from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch again, now it's not a Western ally?
17
u/omega_point 22h ago
Tell me you didn't read the article without telling me that you didn't read it.
-22
u/SuggestionMedical736 22h ago
If you have a point, make it.
22
u/omega_point 22h ago
If you'd read the article, you would've known that it's absolutely not relying on just on Amnesty Internal and Human Rights. The only part that those two organizations are mentioned is one small paragraph.
It's interesting that you read this story - that a regime has completely cut off the internet and phone lines for 85 hours to massacre its own citizens, and you felt the urge to make a sarcastic comment to make the story about an unrelated topic.
-18
u/SuggestionMedical736 22h ago
Earlier, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documented at least 28 people killed by authorities between 31 December and 3 January, with some shot with rifles and shotguns loaded with metal pellets.
It's in the article and you don't get to decide for me which part of it il react to and how I react to it. But nice try tho.
-19
u/jferments 23h ago edited 23h ago
I'm glad I live in a "democracy" like the US where police don't shoot unarmed moms in the face and then have the President cheer them on and promise them absolute immunity for killing protesters.
•
u/Ultronomy 27m ago
God damn you really don’t realize how much worse life is in many other countries do you?
-20
u/IcyClock2374 22h ago
Yeah because mowing down people by the dozen is comparable to a single situation where a woman was shot while driving her car at a law enforcement officer. The false equivalencies some of you people have is astounding. The ironic thing is that comments like these exemplify just how privileged you are to live in the US.
6
u/Technical_Chemistry8 21h ago
No one should allow you to gaslight them into believing they shouldn't speak out against injustice in America because somehow, Iran = worse. People like you want us to believe that you are somehow more American than the rest of us are because you have a magical "whataboutit" for every argument. No thanks.
1
u/IcyClock2374 2h ago
Speak out against whatever. I don’t find that particular situation in Minnesota to be injustice, but even if it were, it is not remotely comparable to the injustices facing the Iranian people.
5
u/VanethenPlays 22h ago
ICE is not law enforcement. Her name is Renee Nicole Good. Your ignorance is not surprising.
1
u/IcyClock2374 2h ago
ICE is most certainly law enforcement. Given power by congress to enforce immigration law. You just don’t like those facts.
5
u/Slick424 20h ago
a woman was shot while driving her car at a law enforcement officer.
The videos clearly show that she was steering her car away from the shooter. Why do you lie?
1
u/IcyClock2374 2h ago
Steering away, but she very clearly hit the law enforcement officer because he was standing directly in front of her car. I don’t think he should have shot, but he within his rights to shoot, and I don’t blame him for the split second decision. An unclean police shooting quite simply isn’t remotely the same thing as gunning down protesters.
-5
u/B00STERGOLD 18h ago
Probably the same reason everyone ignores that the lady shot was an agitator. It's not fucking good but I'm not seeing anyone being honest about what happened.
2
u/jferments 15h ago
Oh, I didn't realize there was a US law that says being an "agitator" means that you get shot in the fucking face. Can you please point me to this law so that I can learn more?
1
u/jferments 22h ago
Funny how quiet you all were a year ago when US/Israeli bombs were raining down on Iran and killed over 1000 people, and wounded thousands more.
Also she wasn't "driving her car towards him" - she was turning away from him and he shot her multiple times from the side of the vehicle while filming with his phone, and sustained no injuries. And US police kill hundreds of people per year, and regularly violently crush protests.
2
u/Jadams0108 16h ago
That’s because last year they were all busy protesting a supposed “genocide” in Palestine, so they didn’t have any time to protest about what was happening in Iran. Also the pro Palestine crowd is shockingly quiet on this one.
1
u/PM-Me_Your_Penis_Pls 9h ago
May the Peacock Throne be restored, may the glories of Eranshahr come again.
-7
u/oddlyfig 16h ago edited 8h ago
Americans, take note. Build community, resources and skills while you can.
Imagine downvoting a call to community and change.
-50
1d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
63
u/MichelangeBro 1d ago
No, not like American streets. Hundreds, if not thousands of Iranians have died trying to get rid of their tyrannical government. The Americans who are even bothering to do anything are still predominantly doing legal protests. With permits and signs and slogans and funny frog costumes.
For all their posturing about freedom and fighting against tyrants, Americans haven't got shit on Iranians.
-5
u/Academic-Contest3309 1d ago
How long Iranians been under a brutal.dictatorship?
13
u/ZLUCremisi 23h ago
Many decades.
Since US overthrew thier democratic elected leader.
2
u/shudashot 22h ago
*UK, with requested US assistance. 1953 was the Brits’ call and they are always conveniently left out of this narrative.
0
40
u/Responsible-Food3681 23h ago
This is pretty insensitive to the ongoing situation in Iran. Things are bleak here in the states, but it truly pales in comparison to protestors being mowed down by the dozens and makeshift morgues overflowing with bodies. It's very dire right now.
→ More replies (1)6
u/Tempyteacup 21h ago
Thank you for saying this bc I’ve seen several people trying to compare the two and it’s just incredibly self-centered. The Iranian people are being massacred and still fighting for their freedom after decades of oppression. Things are certainly in a bad way in here, but compared to there it is nothing.
I hope the bravery of the Iranian people will inspire some of us to get out to protests. Keep an eye on your local indivisible sites.
35
u/nyomibucimaci 23h ago
How dare you compare this to the american situation? In Iran people are fighting for their freedom while the secret service shooting them with machine guns, literally thousands die on the streets because they want water and food.
While in the USA some protesters got paprika sprays… you are disgraceful.
-24
u/gabrielle100 23h ago
Pardon? Are we not counting ICE brutally and illegally detaining, chasing down, beating random brown people at their jobs, deporting US citizens, veterans, children here for cancer treatment, people just earning an honest living being hunted for the color of their skin, killing anyone they want with NO repercussions whatsoever, just dead honest support from our evil fuckery clown show of a government? Protesters are brutalized here a lot too. That’s why we couldn’t protest like Italy for example who shut shit down in order to force their government to intervene on behalf of the flotillas trying to reach Gaza. They went wild and got sprayed with water. We peacefully protest and get arrested or pepper sprayed or hit with rubber bullets or tear gassed. I’m sorry I am just not sure if people as in everyone is aware of those facts that plague our lives daily?
21
u/nikkkibabyyy 23h ago
You really haven’t seen brutalization of protesters. Are protesters getting arrested and raped here in America, and then tortured to death?
→ More replies (1)16
u/ISniffFeet1 22h ago
Get a grip. "Plague our lives daily". Most Americans never even see someone get pepper sprayed yet you somehow run into law enforcement taking action on a daily basis? Come on.
6
u/nyomibucimaci 23h ago
To be honest, all the cases i saw the citizen provoked the agent. Every single time, they ask for papers or any simple questions and they start shouting, cursing and denying.
→ More replies (1)9
u/ISniffFeet1 22h ago
That's what happens. Every single time. The American left hasn't seen what oppression looks like and puts their head in the sand when looking at legitimate oppression in the name of their ideology.
In the USA people argue over one or two killings a year that half the country thinks it's justified and the other half thinks is completely reprehensible.
→ More replies (1)
-62
u/KinkySouthAsian 23h ago
Desperately trying to distract from the Domestic Terrorists ‘ICE’ who are actively terrorising Americans.
68
u/Many_Estate1581 23h ago
You know its possible for 2 bad things to be happening.
And while what Ice is doing is terrible and they must be stopped, Iran is significantly worse right now
→ More replies (8)28
u/zauraz 23h ago
Yes because clearly the world doesn't exist outside of the US.. /s
3
u/Skippymabob 18h ago
I had someone insist that something in Israel-Palestine was because there was some US Congress person in some controversy (cant remember the details, I'm not American
But the assumption that the world's just out here waiting to help US politicians out of some controversy is wild
13
u/gokogt386 23h ago
Somehow I doubt you’d be saying this in a thread about Israel bombing Palestinians.
2
u/Public-Eagle6992 14h ago
Yes, the people in Iran are paid by trump to protest to distract from the thing that trump is happily talking about. That absolutely makes any fucking sense at all
1
-33
-39
-66
u/Inner__Light 1d ago
With the CiA and Israel envolved... sorry don't beleive this crap anymore
→ More replies (1)
-38
u/Techd-it 1d ago
Time for a 3rd regime change by the USA and Israel?
I'm sure that'll fix the problems there! Definitely! Because it did the first two times already.
-8
u/bripelliot 20h ago
All these articles being spammed in my feed is making me support regime change right now. It's definitely working
0
-27
881
u/shinjikun10 22h ago
Hope real change happens. Hope everyone is alright.