Protests against Iran's regime have entered their sixth day, sparked by economic woes, resulting in at least six to seven deaths from security force crackdowns. President Donald Trump warned that the United States would intervene if the regime kills peaceful demonstrators, prompting threats from Iranian officials. The unrest echoes past movements, fueled by inflation and currency collapse.
Protests in Iran, initially triggered by economic despair among merchants, have escalated into widespread anti-regime demonstrations entering their sixth day as of early January 2026. Sparked last weekend in Tehran, the unrest has spread across the country, with chants of “Freedom,” “Death to the Dictator,” and the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” from the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests. Videos on social media show chaos, including protesters setting fire to a police station in Azna and a statue of Qassem Soleimani in Lali, Khuzestan, marking the sixth anniversary of his US assassination.
Security forces have responded brutally, killing six to seven people, with reports varying: human rights groups like the Center for Human Rights in Iran and Hengaw Organization state at least six protesters died from direct shootings, all males aged 15 to 30s. One confirmed death is Amirhesam Khodayari, whom the regime labeled a Basij militia member, but his family denied this, claiming authorities pressured them to mislabel him for body return. At his funeral in Koohdasht, his father stated, “despite Iranian state media reports his son was not a member of the paramilitary Basij force.” Mourners chased away security forces during the event.
The Iranian rial has plummeted to 1.42 million per dollar, losing over 56% in six months, driving food prices up 72% and fueling inflation. President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the merchants' “legitimate demands,” saying, “We are to blame… Do not look for America or anyone else to blame. We must serve properly so that people are satisfied with us…. It is us who have to find a solution to these problems.” However, officials distinguish economic grievances from “sabotage elements.”
In response to the violence, Trump posted on Truth Social: “If Iran shoots 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.” Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned that US intervention would “destabilizing the entire region and destroying American interests,” urging attention to soldiers' safety. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf added that “all American centers and forces across the entire region will be legitimate targets.” Dozens of protesters, including women and children, have been arrested, with violence concentrated in western Iran, where officials promise “decisive and without leniency” action.
This marks the largest unrest since the 2022 protests over Mahsa Amini's death in morality police custody, crushed by arrests and executions. The 1979 revolution's bazaar merchants once allied with mullahs; now, economic pressure revives old tensions. Trump has also backed potential Israeli strikes on Iran's missiles and nuclear pursuits.
