As protests driven by Iran’s deepening economic crisis spread across the country, exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi issued a direct appeal to Iran’s armed forces, urging them to break with the Islamic Republic and side with demonstrators demanding systemic change.
In a video message posted to social media around 9 p.m. Pacific time Tuesday, Pahlavi — the son of Iran’s last monarch — addressed soldiers and security personnel directly, framing the moment as a historic turning point. Within minutes, the post drew thousands of comments, many repeating the slogan “Javid Shah,” or “Long live the King,” a chant increasingly heard at protests inside Iran, according to hundreds of videos circulating online.
“This is your final opportunity to join the nation and separate your fate from the sinking ship of the Islamic Republic,” Pahlavi said in the message, portions of which were shared widely by Iranian activists and diaspora groups. He urged security forces not to fire on protesters but to protect them, saying those who stand with the people would be “respected and honored nationally.”
Pahlavi, who has positioned himself as a unifying figure rather than a claimant to power, reiterated that he is calling for the end of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a transition to a secular system chosen by Iranians themselves.
Calls to Action and Growing Unrest
The message followed an earlier statement in which Pahlavi called on Iranians to take coordinated action on Thursday and Friday, January 8th and 9th, beginning precisely at 8 p.m., whether in the streets or from their homes. He said future calls to action would depend on the public response.
The protests, which began in late December at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, were initially sparked by another sharp drop in the value of the rial and soaring inflation. They have since spread to dozens of cities and towns, with demonstrators chanting slogans against Iran’s clerical leadership and, in some cases, openly calling for regime change.
According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 36 people have been killed in the past 10 days, the majority of them protesters. HRANA also reported more than 2,000 arrests and dozens of injuries. Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll.
The BBC reported that demonstrations have reached 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces, with university students, shopkeepers and workers joining the unrest. Security forces have responded with tear gas, water cannons and, in some cases, live ammunition, according to videos and witness accounts cited by international media.
Arrests of Minors and Internet Shutdowns
Rights groups and activists say the crackdown has increasingly targeted minors. Reports circulating on social media and among diaspora networks indicate that children under 18 have been detained for participating in protests, with families pressured into silence through threats or promises of reduced sentences.
At the same time, activists say authorities have imposed near-total internet shutdowns in parts of the country to prevent images and videos of the protests from reaching the outside world — a tactic Iran has used during previous waves of unrest.
Footage shared online shows unidentified canisters fired into crowds, small explosions, and protesters continuing to chant “Javid Shah” and “Death to Khamenei,” even as security forces advanced. Other videos show women — including some wearing hijabs — openly chanting against the regime.
Official Responses and International Attention
Iran’s judiciary chief, Ghulam Hossein Mohseni Ajei, said security forces were dealing with protesters “tactically,” according to IranWire, while making no mention of weapons or injuries. State media have largely downplayed the scale of the crackdown.
President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged that the crisis was straining the government’s capacity, saying in a televised address that officials should not expect the state to manage the situation alone. He ordered an investigation into reports that security forces fired on protesters in Ilam province and raided a hospital treating the wounded.
The Associated Press reported that the raid drew condemnation from the U.S. State Department, which described attacks on hospitals and medical staff as potential crimes against humanity.
International scrutiny has intensified as the death toll rises. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply saddened” by reports of deaths and injuries and called on Iranian authorities to allow peaceful protest.
Echoes of Past Uprisings
Iran has experienced repeated waves of unrest over the past half-century, from the 1979 revolution that brought the clerical establishment to power, to the 2009 Green Movement, the 2019 gasoline protests, and the 2022 demonstrations sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody. Each has been met with force, mass arrests and, at times, internet blackouts.
What distinguishes the current protests, analysts say, is the convergence of economic collapse, visible defections reported by activists, and increasingly explicit calls for the end of the Islamic Republic — themes reflected in Pahlavi’s messaging.
As Iranians prepare for the next round of coordinated protests, the question Pahlavi posed to Iran’s security forces — “on which side of history will you stand?” — is reverberating far beyond social media, into the streets, bazaars and universities of a country once again at a crossroads.
