EditIran faces escalating nationwide protests as Israel remains on high alert anticipating U.S. intervention
The combination of domestic turmoil and external threats raises the specter of broader regional escalation
Iran is grappling with its most significant anti-government unrest in years, with mass protests spreading across the country since late December 2025, now entering their third week as of Sunday.
What began as demonstrations against soaring inflation and economic collapse has rapidly evolved into widespread political demands for an end to clerical rule, with chants of “Death to the dictator,” “Death to Khamenei,” and calls supporting the exiled Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last shah.
Protests have erupted in over 180 cities and towns across all provinces, including major urban centres like Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz, Shiraz, Rasht, Kerman, and Isfahan. Verified videos and eyewitness accounts show large crowds gathering after nightfall, setting fires in streets, clashing with security forces, and even taking over areas such as Tehran’s Saadatabad and Punak districts. In some cases, protesters have burned public buildings, buses, and municipal property, with reports of a municipal building set ablaze in Karaj.
The Iranian regime has responded with a severe crackdown, imposing a nationwide internet blackout and cutting off communications to hinder information flow and coordination. Security forces, including the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have deployed heavily, using live ammunition. Rights groups report mounting casualties: the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) and others indicate at least 78–116 protesters killed (with some estimates exceeding 200), alongside 15–37 security personnel deaths, over 2,300–2,600 arrests, and hundreds injured, including gunshot wounds, head trauma, and broken limbs overwhelming hospitals. State media has broadcast funerals for slain security forces and accused “rioters” and “terrorists” of attacking bases and public property.
The IRGC has declared safeguarding the Islamic Revolution’s achievements and maintaining security a “red line,” vowing to protect the governing system. Iran’s regular military issued a statement pledging to safeguard national interests, strategic infrastructure, and public property. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has blamed the unrest on foreign interference, accusing protesters of acting as “mercenaries for foreigners” — particularly the U.S. and Israel — and warned against attacks on public assets.
The unrest has drawn sharp international attention, particularly from the United States. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened intervention in recent days, warning Iran’s leaders against using force on demonstrators and stating on 10 January that the U.S. stands “ready to help.” He has also reportedly told Iranian authorities, “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too.” U.S. officials are said to be considering military options amid the escalating crisis.
This has heightened concerns in Israel, which remains on high alert for the possibility of U.S. intervention in Iran, according to three Israeli sources familiar with weekend security consultations. Tensions between Israel and Iran are already elevated following a 12-day war in June 2025, during which the U.S. joined Israel in airstrikes against Iranian targets. On 10 January Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the potential for U.S. intervention, an Israeli source present for the conversation confirmed. A U.S. official acknowledged the call but provided no details.
Israel has not expressed any intention to intervene directly in Iran’s internal protests but is closely monitoring developments amid ongoing concerns over Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. In a recent interview with The Economist (published 9 January), Netanyahu alluded to the unrest, stating there would be “horrible consequences” if Iran attacked Israel, while adding, “Everything else, I think we should see what is happening inside Iran.”
As protests persist despite the intensified crackdown and communications blackout, the situation underscores a deepening legitimacy crisis for Iran’s rulers, with exiled opposition figures like Reza Pahlavi urging demonstrators to seize city centers and broaden the movement into a full revolt.
With Reuters, edited by g.g.
Caption: A general view from the downtown capital city of Tehran, Iran, 8 January 2026. Following a sharp decline in the national currency and soaring prices for basic goods, the country is facing a wave of nationwide anti-government protests which has spread to 37 cities across 24 provinces, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
Updated: January 11, 2026 - 09:40
