As 2026 dawns, the streets of Iran ring with the sound of defiance. What began in late December 2025 as protests against crushing economic collapse — hyperinflation, a plummeting rial, soaring food and fuel prices — has exploded into the largest nationwide uprising since the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom movement, and quite possibly the most widespread challenge to the Islamic Republic in its history.
From Tehran’s bustling neighborhoods like Punak, Saadat Abad, and Jannat Abad to cities across every province — Isfahan, Mashhad, Tabriz, Shiraz, Kermanshah, and beyond — hundreds of thousands (some reports say up to two million) have taken to the streets. The chants grow louder: "Death to the Dictator" (targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), "Death to Khamenei", "This is the last battle", and "Long Live the Shah"6 — echoing calls for the return of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and a rejection of the current dictatorial rule.
Videos verified by outlets show crowds in Tehran's Punak Square on January 10, 2026, chanting "Death to the Dictator" while setting off fireworks and protesting amid a mosque fire. Symbols like the Lion and Sun flag signaling a yearning for freedom and perhaps a return to pre-1979 roots3.
Image of an Iranian protesting. By Goldie Ghamari | گلسا قمری , on X.