Iran Protests Intensify as Exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Nationwide Rallies

Iran protests are entering another tense day, with marches and clashes reported despite a near-total communications blackout. Activists say anger over economic pain has turned into a direct challenge to Iran's rulers. Human rights groups report dozens of deaths and widespread arrests, while analysts highlight the fresh visibility of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi in shaping events.

Available figures from the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency indicate at least 42 deaths since the latest Iran protests began. The same group counts more than 2,270 detentions nationwide, though actual numbers are likely higher. With internet and many international phone lines blocked, independent verification is difficult and casualty estimates remain fluid.

The known human cost of the Iran protests, and the main source for these figures, is shown below.

Indicator	Figure reported	Source
Deaths	At least 42	Human Rights Activists News Agency
Detentions	More than 2,270	Human Rights Activists News Agency

Witness accounts and short video clips, uploaded before links failed, show burning barricades, damaged streets and anti-government chants in Tehran and other cities. Protesters shout against Iran's theocracy and, in some places, praise the former monarchy. Open support for the shah once carried a possible death sentence, suggesting how sharply public frustration has risen.

The latest Iran protests follow years of recurring unrest linked to rising prices and falling living standards. Economic pressure intensified after a 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which brought tighter sanctions and fresh financial strain. In December, the rial plunged to 1.4 million to $1, triggering new rallies against inflation, unemployment and the political system.

What began as anger over everyday costs has shifted into overt criticism of Iran's governing structure. Many demonstrators now direct slogans at the entire theocratic order rather than specific policies. Analysts note that security forces have not yet launched the harshest possible response, even as deaths and detentions mount, leaving observers unsure about the authorities' calculations.

Iran protests and Reza Pahlavi's calls for nationwide rallies

Iran protests gained new momentum after Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile, urged coordinated demonstrations. Pahlavi called for people to gather across Iran on Thursday night and again at 8 p.m. Friday. Commentators see this as a test of whether sections of the public might rally behind the former crown prince, whose father left Iran shortly before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Analyst Holly Dagres of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy argues that Pahlavi's role has altered events. "What turned the tide of the protests was former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi's calls for Iranians to take to the streets at 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday," said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "Per social media posts, it became clear that Iranians had delivered and were taking the call seriously to protest in order to oust the Islamic Republic."

Evening rallies, Iran protests slogans and sudden internet shutdown

Residents say that when clocks reached 8 p.m. Thursday, several Tehran districts suddenly erupted with noise. People leaned from balconies or gathered on streets, shouting, "Death to the dictator!" and "Death to the Islamic Republic!" Some crowds also chanted, "This is the last battle! Pahlavi will return!" signalling visible royalist sentiment inside the Iran protests.

Before connections went down, footage showed thousands marching in multiple cities under heavy security presence. Soon afterwards, most internet access and many international calls stopped, leaving Iran largely isolated. Activists contend that this timing made it much harder to track events, confirm casualty reports or share images from the Iran protests with audiences abroad.

Iran protests, Pahlavi's statement and appeals to Europe

After the shutdown, Pahlavi issued a statement highlighting the communications blackout and urging outside support. "Iranians demanded their freedom tonight. In response, the regime in Iran has cut all lines of communication," Pahlavi said. "It has shut down the Internet. It has cut landlines. It may even attempt to jam satellite signals."

Pahlavi called on European governments to echo the position of U.S. President Donald Trump and "hold the regime to account." "I call on them to use all technical, financial, and diplomatic resources available to restore communication to the Iranian people so that their voice and their will can be heard and seen," he added. "Do not let the voices of my courageous compatriots be silenced."

Iran protests, state media coverage and limited official details

The broad internet outage also disrupted some state-run and semi-official Iranian news websites, which briefly went offline. State television did not address the Iran protests until about 8 a.m. Friday, when presenters accused "terrorist agents" associated with the U.S. and Israel of lighting fires and stirring unrest. They acknowledged "casualties," but did not release figures or confirm locations.

State TV claimed that private cars, motorbikes, fire engines, buses, metro stations and other public assets were burned during the Iran protests. Officials did not say which cities were worst affected or how many people had been hurt or killed. For investors and analysts tracking Iran, the mix of tight information control and economic stress leaves many questions about the scale of disruption.

Trump's warnings, Iran protests and security risks

Donald Trump says the U.S. has sent strong private messages to Tehran about any violent crackdown on the Iran protests. Trump previously warned that if Iranian authorities "violently kill peaceful protesters," the U.S. "will come to their rescue." In an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt aired Thursday, Trump said that warning had been delivered in even tougher terms.

Iran has "been told very strongly, even more strongly than I'm speaking to you right now, that if they do that, they're going to have to pay hell," Trump said. Asked whether Trump would meet Pahlavi, the response was cautious. "I'm not sure that it would be appropriate at this point to do that as president," Trump said. "I think that we should let everybody go out there, and we see who emerges."

Debate over monarchy, Iran protests and Pahlavi's external ties

Pahlavi says any next political steps depend on how Iranians respond to calls for protest. Some crowds have chanted in favour of the shah, but it is unclear whether this shows direct backing for Pahlavi or a broader nostalgia for pre-1979 politics. The Iran protests have revived old debates over monarchy, legitimacy and possible alternatives to the current system.

Pahlavi's past meetings with Israeli officials draw criticism from some Iranians, especially after Israel's 12-day conflict with Iran in June. That record continues to split opinion among communities inside Iran and in the diaspora. With Iran protests ongoing, analysts are watching whether support for the former royal family expands or remains largely symbolic and fragmented.

Internet blackout, Iran protests and fears of hidden violence

Dagres argues that cutting connectivity made it easier for security forces to act away from scrutiny during the Iran protests. "This is exactly why the internet was shut down: to prevent the world from seeing the protests. Unfortunately, it also likely provided cover for security forces to kill protesters." With regular reporting blocked, diplomats and rights groups rely on partial and delayed information.

Families across Iran struggle to contact relatives in protest-hit areas, heightening concern and uncertainty. The authorities face combined pressure from domestic unrest, sanctions and strong messages from foreign capitals, while the currency shock still weighs on households and businesses. Iran protests therefore remain a key test of the government's response, the reach of exiled leaders and the impact of outside warnings.