On Friday, thousands of Iranians took to the streets again / Images of bodies in the hallway of a hospital in Iran outraged the protesters
Protests in Iran. PHOTO: AFP / AFP / Profimedia
Street demonstrations continued Friday in Iran, where the theocratic regime in Tehran faces perhaps its biggest domestic challenge in years. The protests initially focused on the economy, but have since expanded to include slogans targeting the authorities directly. “Death to the dictator,” was one of the chants during the 13th consecutive day of demonstrations, according to the independent publication Iran International.
The largest demonstration so far took place on Thursday, a day when authorities cut Internet access and phone lines, leaving Iran largely cut off from the rest of the world, CNN reported.
An eyewitness in Tehran told Iran International that protests continued into Friday night, marked by chants of “Death to the dictator”, burning of police and Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) vehicles, gunfire by authorities, blocked streets and non-stop honking.
#BREAKING Protesters were heard chanting slogans against Iran's theocracy in Tehran's Pounak in the first video Iran International has received from Friday night demonstrations amid the internet shutdown.
“Cannon, Tank, Firecrackers; Mullah must get lost.”pic.twitter.com/iV0w05veRC— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) January 9, 2026
“The internet has been completely shut down, card payment terminals are not working, phone calls are impossible and only Rightel users can send text messages,” the eyewitness told Iran International.
A video obtained by the publication shows what appear to be several bodies lying on the ground at Alghadir Hospital in eastern Tehran, following massive nationwide protests on Thursday night.
At least 51 protesters, including nine children, have been killed in the wave of protests so far, according to the Norway-based nonprofit Iran Human Rights.
Threats between Trump and Khamenei
US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran if security forces kill protesters, but Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told him on Friday that he should “focus on the problems of his own country”.
Khamenei said Trump's hands were “stained with the blood of over a thousand Iranians”, in what French publication Le Monde interpreted as an apparent reference to the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, in which the US also intervened.
Iran's Ayatollah added that the “arrogant” American leader will be “removed” just like the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran until the 1979 revolution.
Iran's supreme leader also said authorities would not back down, accusing protesters of acting on behalf of opposition groups that have left the country and the United States. A prosecutor threatened the death penalty.
The protests began in Tehran's bazaars due to rampant inflation, but spread across the country and turned into more general anti-regime demonstrations.
Concerns about inflation peaked last week, when prices of staples like chicken and cooking oil rose dramatically overnight and some products disappeared from shelves entirely, according to CNN.
The government tried to ease the pressure by offering direct cash allowances of almost $7 a month, but the measure did not calm spirits.
VIDEO Images of Iran on fire: Institutions under siege, dozens of dead and digital isolation after the brutal intervention of law enforcement / The exiled prince calls Iranians to the streets
