A large number of protests are taking place in Iran after the economic crisis that has been going on for the last one month. The appeal of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi is being considered an important reason behind the sudden protests that broke out in many big cities of the country on Thursday night (January 8, 2026). The situation became so bad that the Iranian government had to shut down internet services in the entire country.

These demonstrations got a new direction when Raza Pahlavi released a video message on the social media platform X and appealed to the people to take to the streets at 8 pm. Within a few hours of the appeal, thousands of people came out, due to which the intensity of the movement suddenly increased. Reza Pahlavi said, ‘The Iranian people have demanded freedom and in response the regime has closed the Internet and all means of communication.’

My fellow countrymen, today, Wednesday January 7th, your presence across Iran was unprecedented.

And this constitutes a declaration of readiness for tomorrow’s plan (the call for Thursday January 8th, at 8 pm).

Of course, reports have reached us that the regime is deeply… https://t.co/JJiTNZ8cxW

— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) January 7, 2026

Who is Reza Pahlavi?

Reza Pahlavi is the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. He was born on 31 October 1960. He was officially declared Crown Prince in 1967. However, after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the royal family had to leave Iran. Currently he is living in America. He has received education in political science from America and describes himself as a supporter of secular, democratic and human rights Iran.

Why did public anger erupt?

A large number of people took to the streets in Tehran, Mashhad and other major cities on Thursday night. The protesters raised slogans against the religious leadership of Iran. Slogans like ‘Death to the dictator’, ‘End of Islamic Republic’ and ‘Pahlavi will return’ kept echoing till late night. According to experts, there is a deep economic crisis at the root of the movement. At present, the Iranian currency Rial has fallen to a historic low. Inflation and unemployment are at their peak. The economy is in a dilapidated condition due to international sanctions. In these circumstances, the anger of the youth and middle class is now coming out openly.

Government’s response

As the protests intensified, the government shut down internet and landline services. Increased deployment of security forces. There are reports of use of force in many areas. During this period, 42 people have also died. According to human rights organizations, the number of casualties in the repressive action may increase.

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On Wednesday (23 July 2025), Iran claimed that it warned USS Fitzgerald, the US Navy, through a radio message when he approached the Iranian water area, after which the vessel changed its path. Iranian government TV telecasted photos and audio recording taken with the help of a SH-3 Sea King helicopter, warning a person that the ship was moving towards the Iranian region.

The Iranian media described it as a provocative step and said that the forces monitoring the Iranian Jalasima forced the American ship to retreat.

#Iran Warned a #US Destroyer ‘Fitzgerald’ to Change Course after it Approached Watters Being Monitored by Iran, Leading The Us Destroyer to Turn Away. pic.twitter.com/6LF3WAQJGW

– IDU (@Defensealerts) July 23, 2025

IRGC’s misinformation-US
A US Department of Defense Department rejected the Iranian claim outright. He told the reates on the condition of anonymity that the mission of USS Fitzgerald was not affected. This interaction was safe and professional and it happened completely in the international water area. He also said that this campaign being done by the Iranian side is an attempt to spread wrong information towards IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps).

Sea tension increased after nuclear tension
This conflict has happened at a time when the US recently attacked Iran’s nuclear installations. The US alleges that they are part of the nuclear weapon program, while Tehran has dismissed the allegations, saying that its nuclear program is entirely for civil purposes. However, in recent times, tension between the two countries at the regional level has been increasing, especially in sensitive water areas such as the Gulf of Hormuz and Oman’s Gulf. The latest incident took place on 22 June after the US air strikes on Iran’s nuclear installations during a 12 -day conflict between Tehran and Israel. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the damage caused by these attacks is serious, but he also said that uranium enrichment will continue.

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