Iran’s Intelligence Ministry warned Friday that the public should identify what it described as “terrorists hired by the United States and the Zionist regime” who, it said, opened fire “with the intent to kill.”
The warning came as Iran reported that the prosecutor of Esfaryen and several security personnel were killed during unrest. Tehran’s prosecutor threatened harsh punishment, saying those “involved in violent clashes, arson, property destruction or sabotage” would face the death penalty.
‘People are talking against the regime in daylight’
Large crowds of Iranians took to the streets Thursday night in Tehran and many other cities, calling for the downfall of the clerical regime. In some locations, demonstrators also called for restoring the monarchy.
After nearly 50 years of religious rule, a young woman in Tehran told the BBC she was protesting because her dreams had been “stolen.”
“I want the regime to know that we still have a voice to shout with and a fist to hit it in the face,” she said.
Another woman described the despair and lack of hope driving the protests. “We live in a loop,” she said. “I feel like I’m suspended in the air without wings to leave and without hope of achieving my goals here. Life here has become unbearable.”
The protest movement, which initially erupted over a severe economic crisis, has been spreading day by day.
“People have become bolder now,” said Sina, 29, who lives in a city west of Tehran, speaking to the BBC. “I went out to buy groceries and people were talking out loud against the regime, in daylight. I was shocked. I thought the protests would stop, but they haven’t lost momentum.”
Internet and phone lines cut
The regime cut internet access across Iran on Thursday and severed phone lines Friday, making it difficult to form a full picture of the unrest. Even so, testimonies and documentation from the demonstrations have continued to make their way out of the country, the Hebrew report said.
The previous major wave of protests in Iran erupted in 2022 after the morality police killed Mahsa Amini, following allegations that she did not wear her hijab properly.
This time, the protests began after a strike by merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on December 28, amid anger over the collapse of the Iranian currency.
The demonstrations later reached universities. Institutions were swiftly closed under government instructions, with authorities citing cold weather. The closures came too late to prevent the unrest from widening, and protests broke out nationwide, along with violent clashes with security forces.
In recent days, some protesters have even chanted “Death to the dictator” at Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
‘Pahlavi will return’
A new chant heard in the protests has been “Pahlavi will return,” referring to Reza Pahlavi, the son of the shah who was overthrown in 1979. Pahlavi called on Iranians to take to the streets Thursday evening.
“Personally, I think he is the only way out of this,” said Sara, 26, from Tehran, speaking to the BBC.
Others described support for the monarchy as a sign of desperation amid a lack of alternatives.
“I’m not the biggest fan of Reza Pahlavi,” said Maryam, 27, also from Tehran. “But honestly, my opinion doesn’t matter now. We need to stay united. That’s what matters. The atmosphere is different from the 2022 protests. Now people are angrier and more determined.”
Another woman, from the western Iranian city of Ilam, said she knew young people from families connected to the regime who were participating in the protests.
“My friend and her three sisters, whose father is a well-known figure in the intelligence community, are joining without him knowing,” she said.
Khamenei defiant
Khamenei said Friday that the Islamic Republic “will not retreat one millimeter from its principles” in the face of protests rocking the country, accusing demonstrators of being rioters trying to please Trump.
“Dear youth, preserve readiness and unity. A united nation will overcome any enemy,” he said during a televised gathering. He also called on Trump to focus on “his country’s internal problems.”
Khamenei, 86, has ruled Iran as supreme leader for three decades and stands above all other branches of power.
The Hebrew report said a “12-day war” further weakened Iran’s economy, which remains under US and European sanctions tied to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“Iran will not tolerate the presence of agents on its soil,” Khamenei added. “The hands of America are stained with the blood of more than 1,000 Iranian leaders and innocent citizens.”
He warned Trump that “all tyrants fell at the height of their power,” and said the Iranian people would defeat their enemies.
Foreign minister blames Israel and the US
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking during a visit to Beirut, also addressed the protests in a news conference.
“During the meetings we reviewed the Israeli threats affecting all residents of the region and how to deal with them,” he said.
He compared developments in Iran to what happened in Lebanon when its currency collapsed, adding that Iran’s government has begun consulting various segments of the population to solve the country’s problems.
“Israel has direct involvement in the current unrest in Iran,” Araghchi claimed. He said statements by American and Israeli officials were intended to incite violence during the protests and, in his view, showed direct involvement in disturbances.
Israel watching closely, seeking to avoid involvement
Israel is closely monitoring developments in Iran while taking care not to be seen as intervening, the Hebrew report said.
According to intelligence assessments cited in the report, the protests are expanding both geographically and in the number of participants. Iran’s leadership is attempting to contain the unrest without deploying its “heaviest weapons,” apparently out of concern that a harsher crackdown would further inflame public anger and potentially complicate matters with Trump.
The assessment said Trump has warned that if protesters are killed, he would move to defend demonstrators.