Chronicle of the December 2025-January 2026 Nationwide Uprising Messages and Positions by Maryam Rajavi
February 5, 2026
Salute to the freedom-loving students in Tehran, Mashhad, Shiraz, and Tabriz standing up to the mullahs’ repression and intimidation, demanding justice for their classmates killed during the protests and the immediate release of detained students and all political prisoners. Rising up and resistance continue until victory.
January 21, 2026
The head of Khamenei’s judiciary threatening “swift punishment” for protesters signals the regime’s intent to carry out mass executions and is an open admission of its fear of the uprising.
The horrific killings in city streets, the execution-style shooting of the wounded in hospitals, the rushed trials of thousands arrested during the recent protests, and the extraction of forced confessions together constitute Khamenei’s all-out war against the Iranian people.
Yet the people’s anger and resolve, and the determination of Iran’s rebellious youth to bring down this regime, are far more powerful, and will descend upon the ruling criminals like an overwhelming storm.
January 16, 2026 – Zahedan marches despite mass arrests and heavy security
Salute to the courageous people of Zahedan, and to the freedom-loving Baluch compatriots who today once again ignited the flames of Iran’s uprising through a brave march and chants of “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to the dictator.” This demonstration, held in the wake of mass arrests and under an extremely heavy security presence, with repressive forces deployed throughout the streets and around the Friday prayer site, stands as a clear expression of the Iranian people’s firm resolve to bring down this criminal regime.
January 14, 2026 – Call to recognize the resistance and designate the IRGC as terrorist
Khamenei, through the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has turned his weapons against our people, while young Iranians, armed with little more than determination, have risen to defend and protect unarmed and innocent civilians.
In this ruthless confrontation, in which thousands of innocent Iranians have been killed over the past two weeks, neutrality is not an option. At a minimum, the international community must recognize the legitimate struggle of Iran’s youth and Resistance Units against the IRGC to bring an end to this regime.
European governments must designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, an action long overdue. The regime’s embassies and representative offices should be closed, and its envoys expelled.
January 14, 2026 – Night confrontations expose the regime’s failure and digital repression
On Tuesday night, Tehran and many other cities once again became the scene of direct confrontation between the people and rebellious youth on one side, and the regime’s violent IRGC forces on the other. Yet the fearless youth, alongside resolute women and girls, are bringing the clerical regime, despite all its brutality, to its knees and are paving the way for freedom and democracy. The regime’s escalating repressive measures across multiple cities, the deployment of heavy weapons into the streets, and the digital lockdown imposed on all of Iran only underscore Khamenei’s failure in the face of a people who have risen.
January 13, 2026 – Nationwide night protests defy repression and internet shutdowns
On Monday night, on the sixteenth day of Iran uprising, with wounded bodies and grieving hearts yet with unbreakable resolve, the people of Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Meshkan in Fars Province, Falahieh (Shadegan), and many other cities once again took to the streets. Hand in hand and in full force, chanting “Death to Khamenei,” and targeting the centers of repression and plunder, you lit up the streets with your righteous anger. Your message is clear: neither power outages nor internet shutdowns, neither the abduction of the wounded from hospitals nor the boundless oppression of Khamenei can stop the Iranian people’s democratic revolution. Your steadfastness has compelled the world to choose, and it will choose to stand with the people of Iran.
January 12, 2026 – Martyrs’ funerals transform into renewed acts of uprising
Salute to the bereaved yet proud families of the fallen, who together with the rising people turned the funeral processions of the martyrs at Behesht-e Zahra in Tehran and in Abdanan, Ilam, into yet another powerful scene of the Iranian people’s uprising with chants of “Death to Khamenei.” They renewed their pledge to seek justice for the martyrs, voicing their resolve to hold to account those who killed their brothers. Indeed, a nation that has risen and is willing to pay the price is unconquerable.
January 11, 2026 – Regime threats and judicial intimidation signal growing desperation
Following threats issued by Khamenei against what he labels “rioters,” and the judiciary’s declarations branding protesters as mohareb (“enemies of God”), Ali Larijani has now joined in calling for harsh measures against demonstrators. The leadership of the regime should be under no illusion: they cannot escape public accountability. A future democratic Iran will bring to justice those responsible for grave crimes, individuals whose actions have resulted in the bloodshed of countless Iranians.
January 11, 2026 – Appeal for international recognition of the right to resist repression
In the midst of a popular uprising in Iran, while a large number of young people have been killed or wounded and thousands arrested by the IRGC and other repressive forces of the regime, in the name of the Iranian people and their Resistance, I call on all governments to recognize the right of the Iranian people and Resistance Units to confront the repressive forces of the regime. I urge the European governments to:
1. designate the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity;
2. shut down the regime’s embassies and centers affiliated with it;
3. expel the regime’s official and unofficial agents, who lobby on behalf of the regime.
January 11, 2026 – Tehran districts and major cities seize public space in open revolt
Last night, once again, people and youth in many districts of Tehran, including Shahrara, Shahrak-e Gharb, Punak, Saadat Abad, Sattarkhan, Jannat Abad, Heravi, Pol-e Rumi, and Ariashahr, took to the streets. Together with cities in open revolt such as Karaj, Aligudarz, Isfahan, Shiraz, Shahrekord, Sanandaj, Qazvin, Qom, Rasht, and Bushehr, they asserted control of public spaces and reshaped Iran’s political landscape with chants of “Death to Khamenei,” “Death to the dictator,” and “Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or (the mullahs’) Leader.” The continued deployment of mercenaries and IRGC forces, using tear gas, live ammunition, and mass arrests, no longer offers any remedy for a defeated and weakened Khamenei. The people speak with one voice: the regime of velayat-e faqih must come to an end.
January 10, 2026 – Youth-led uprisings spread to 190 cities
Salute to the young and rebellious forces of the uprising across our homeland, who today complete the second week of a great uprising. These brave souls have spread the uprising to 190 cities and shaken Khamenei’s regime to its core. By defending protesters, at the cost of their own lives, they did not allow the uprising to be silenced. On the thirteenth day, young people took to the streets in vast numbers in Mashhad and Tehran, and in dozens of other cities, including Isfahan, Shiraz, Karaj, Zahedan, Kerman, Kermanshah, Izeh, Eslamabad-e Gharb, Gilan-e Gharb, Dezful, Dorud, Babol, Ramsar, Chaboksar, Qom, Pakdasht, Bagher Shahr, Lamerd, Lordegan, Yazd, and Kuhdasht. By taking control of parts of cities and neighborhoods, they delivered another strong blow to the clerical dictatorship. In Tehran, rebellious youth clashed with regime forces in at least 20 locations, including Nezamabad, Ferdowsi Square, Saadat Abad, Mirdamad, Vali-e Asr, Shariati, Zafaranieh, Sattarkhan, Motahari, Rah Ahan, Ekbatan, Seyed Khandan, Khak-e Sefid, Sadeghieh, and Narmak. Chanting “Death to the dictator” and “This year is the year of sacrifice, Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown,” they declared their determination for final victory.
January 9, 2026 – Zahedan protests after Friday prayers and Baluch women’s frontline role
Today, as nationwide protests swept cities across Iran, the people of Zahedan took to the streets after Friday prayers. Khamenei’s forces responded by targeting them with live ammunition and tear gas.
I extend my salute to the courageous Baluch compatriots who joined the nationwide demonstrations with chants of “Death to Khamenei” and “From Zahedan to Tehran, my life for Iran.”
The strong presence of Baluch women in these protests, despite encirclement and gunfire by security forces, and their chant, “Poverty, corruption, rising prices, we will march on until overthrow,” powerfully reflects the firm resolve of Iranian women to bring an end to religious fascism.
January 9, 2026 – Night protests target centers of repression across major cities
Salute to the courageous people and rebellious youth who, on the twelfth night of the uprising across Iran, deprived the clerical regime and its criminal leaders of sleep, directing their anger against the centers of repression and plunder and the symbols of execution and massacre.
Salute to the honored martyrs of Thursday night, the defiant young protesters who have played, and continue to play, an irreplaceable role in advancing the people’s uprising and removing the obstacles before it.
Salute to defiant Tehran, to heroic Mashhad, and to the rising cities of Isfahan, Kermanshah, Tabriz, Urmia, Qazvin, and Bandar Abbas, where chants of “This year is a year of sacrifice, Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown” and “Death to the oppressor, whether Shah or (the mullahs’) Leader” reaffirm the determination to carry the uprising forward until its ultimate goal is achieved.
January 8, 2026 – Martyrdom of protesters and nationwide bazaar strikes
“And every crimson flower that blooms from the blood of the fallen today carries the promise of freedom tomorrow.” The deepest respect of the risen people of Iran goes to the eight vanguard protesters who were killed last night after hours of confrontation with the regime’s Basij and IRGC forces. They stood to block the deployment of reinforcements sent to suppress the people, confronting mercenaries known as the so-called Special Units. Their sacrifice will only strengthen the nation’s resolve for change. On the twelfth day of Iran’s nationwide uprising, bazaar merchants and shopkeepers in Tehran and in many cities across the country, including Saqqez, Shahrekord, Dizelabad (Kermanshah), Hashtbandi (Hormozgan), Sanandaj, Marivan, Divandarreh, Kamyaran, Mahabad, Urmia, Piranshahr, Fasa, Sarpol-e Zahab, Kerman, Takab, Ardabil, and many others observed a full strike. Iran’s future will be shaped by uprising and organized resistance, led by its courageous youth. Victory awaits them.
January 7, 2026 – Mass demonstrations and live fire fail to halt the uprising
Salute to the courageous people of Kermanshah, Ahvaz, Ilam, Shiraz, Fasa, Isfahan, Shahrekord, Qazvin, Kerman, and many other cities who, alongside Tehran, took to the streets today on the eleventh day of the nationwide uprising, chanting “Death to Khamenei.” Live fire by Khamenei’s IRGC forces and repressive agents against demonstrators, including in Dizelabad, Kermanshah, cannot stop the Iranian people’s uprising. Khamenei should know that every bullet fired by his mercenaries only further ignites the flames of revolt. Victory and freedom belong to a people who refuse to accept oppression and tyranny.
January 6, 2026 – Cities rise as protests demand freedom and a democratic republic
From city to city across Iran, sparks are turning into open uprising. Salute to the courageous people of Malekshahi and Abdanan in Ilam, who boldly took over the streets with chants of “Death to Khamenei” and drove the regime’s enforcers into retreat. Salute to the uprising in Shahrekord, Mashhad, and Yazdanshahr in Isfahan, where people have taken to the streets today demanding the freedom of their detained children, undeterred by bullets or tear gas. And salute to the blazing cities that last night denied Khamenei and his mercenaries any sleep, from Birjand and Sari to Kooshk in Isfahan. The voice of Iran’s streets, its bazaars, and its universities is a single cry: “Freedom, freedom.” Salute to the resistance units and centers of uprising in cities, neighborhoods, and regions across the country, standing firm for the realization of a democratic republic. This is a fire that cannot be extinguished.
January 6, 2026 – Tehran bazaar erupts on the tenth day of nationwide protests
On the tenth day of nationwide Iran Protests, anger once again erupted in Tehran’s bazaar. Chants of “Freedom, freedom, freedom” and “This is a month of sacrifice—Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown” echoed through the area, underscoring the determination and momentum of a movement that shows no sign of retreat.
Security forces, deployed since early morning, attempted to prevent the formation of demonstrations by using tear gas. Confronted with sustained public resistance, they failed to contain the protests and were forced to withdraw from several locations.
Salute to the honorable and courageous bazaar merchants of Tehran.
Across Iran, cities have risen with a clear aim: to erase Khamenei and his criminal regime from the pages of Iran’s history.
January 5, 2026 – Judiciary threats expose the regime’s inability to suppress protests
On the ninth day of the nationwide uprising, Mohseni Ejei, head of the regime’s judiciary, and the regime’s chief prosecutor called for expedited trials of protesters and “decisive action” against them. These criminal threats amount to a public admission of failure. They expose the regime’s inability to crush the uprising and reveal Khamenei’s complete helplessness, along with that of his apparatus of repression, in the face of defiant youth and an enraged population. This is a regime sitting on a powder keg, with no way forward and no way back. Executions and mass imprisonment no longer intimidate the people, nor can they rescue a regime now surrounded by popular resistance. The judiciary chief of the clerical regime, one of the principal figures implicated in the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, only compounds his crimes through such threats, crimes for which he will one day be held accountable before the courts of a democratic Iran.
January 5, 2026 – Assault on Ilam hospital and call for international accountability
An assault by Khamenei’s agents on a hospital in Ilam, using tear gas to arrest and abduct wounded protesters and seize defenseless civilians, is an unforgivable crime. This attack came just one day after the horrific massacre in Malekshahi, Ilam. Desperate to confront the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people, Khamenei resorts to maximum cruelty and brutality to crush protests but only fuels the flames of resistance. I call on the public and the youth of neighboring provinces, especially Lorestan and Kurdistan, to stand with the people of Ilam. The world must not remain silent in the face of crimes against humanity committed by the religious fascism ruling Iran.
January 4, 2026 – Message on the second week of the nationwide uprising
Message at the Outset of the Second Week of the Nationwide Uprising-
Once again, Iran Protests have swept across Iran, now entering their second week and spreading to every province. Once again, the uprising has claimed the lives of Iran’s youth, beloved children whose sacrifice has strengthened the resolve of a nation. Salute to the heroic vanguards of the uprising, whose fall has brought tears to our people’s eyes and pride to our hearts for such a courageous generation. A generation that has cast aside fear and taken to the streets is, without doubt, destined to prevail.
January 3, 2026 – Response to Khamenei’s threats and repression
After a week of silence on the people’s uprising, Khamenei reappeared with threats of repression, saying: “Protest is different from rioting. We talk to protesters… but talking to rioters is pointless; rioters must be put in their place. It is absolutely unacceptable for some to riot with the intention of making the country (read: the regime) insecure. One must recognize the enemy; the enemy does not sit idle.” First: Khamenei is right; 80 million Iranians are his enemy, and their mission is to disrupt the velayat-e faqih regime. They have only one message for him: pack up his rule and remove his scourge from the Iranian people. Better still if he comes to his senses and leaves of his own accord. Second: Khamenei must know that threats, bluster, and repression cannot stop the uprising. A nation who has taken to the streets will not stand down until democracy and popular sovereignty are achieved.
January 2, 2026 – Salute to the youth and cities in revolt across Iran
Fellow compatriots, architects of the Iran Protests and rebellious youth; students and merchant, The relentless surge of your righteous anger is rising and gathering momentum by the hour. A thousand salutes to you, the forces of the democratic revolution and the great Army of Freedom of the people of Iran, from Azna, Lordegan, and Kuhdasht to Fasa, Fooladshahr, Tehran, Hamedan, Mashhad, Dorud, Arak, Shiraz, and all other cities that have risen in defiance and resolutely chosen change and revolution. Thousands of salutations to the martyrs of the December 2025–January 2026 uprising, whose blood now courses through the veins of the rebellious youth, surging with unquenchable force.
January 1, 2026 – Tribute to the martyrs of the nationwide protests
On the fifth day of nationwide protests by the Iranian people, I salute the fallen martyrs of Fooladshahr and Lordegan, brave sons of Iran who, with their pure blood, became guiding stars for rebellious and uprising youth in their struggle for freedom. I extend my deepest condolences and solidarity to the families of the martyrs, their friends and comrades, and to their fellow citizens and the people of Isfahan and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari. Without doubt, the names of these martyrs will remain forever etched in the history of the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom.
January 1, 2026 – Condemnation of attacks against female university students
The criminal attack by Khamenei’s plainclothes agents and intelligence forces on the women’s dormitory at the National University reveals the regime’s fear of the role played by students, especially young women. Assaulting female students is a despicable act that students and young people everywhere will stand up against. This regime is on its way out, and a great change, through uprising and the Army of Freedom is approaching. In every city, square, street, and university, unite to stop arrests! Break the regime’s atmosphere of fear and terror, enforced through tear gas, gunfire, arrests, and beatings, with courage and the cry of freedom!
December 31, 2025 – Fourth day of nationwide protests and regime violence
Day Four of the nationwide uprising. From Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan to Shiraz, Hamedan, Dorud, and Yasuj. Across the country, repressive forces are confronting people and youth, opening fire on protesters in Fasa, Kuhdasht, and other cities. On the one hand, Khamenei, speaking through his president, strikes a pose of “peaceful engagement” with protesters. On the other, he appoints Ahmad Vahidi, a hardline terrorist figure, as a the acting IRGC commander, while Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, the head of the Judiciary, issues threats against the people. But the final word is spoken in the streets by the people and the rebellious youth, those with nothing left to lose. This regime must go.
December 30, 2025 – Student demonstrations and calls for regime overthrow
Salutes to the freedom-loving students at universities across Iran, including the University of Tehran, Sharif University of Technology, Kharazmi University, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Amirkabir University of Technology, University of Science and Technology, and others, who took to the scene today chanting “Death to the dictator,” “Death to the principle of velayat-e faqih,” and “By the blood of our comrades, we will stand to the end.” Courageous students at the University of Tehran, chanting “Death to the dictator” and “Salutes to the university—neither a garrison nor a prison,” forced regime mercenaries who attempted to attack students to retreat. The third day of the uprising by bazaar merchants, students, and other sectors of Iranian society signals the will of the Iranian people to rid themselves of religious dictatorship. If the Iranian nation rises alongside its rebellious sons and daughters, this wretched regime is doomed to overthrow.
December 29, 2025 – Expansion of merchants’ strikes and popular slogans
The strike and protests by the honorable Tehran bazaar merchants expanded further for a second consecutive day, spreading across multiple markets and areas, including Beyn-ol-Haramayn, Chaharsouq, the Aluminum Building, Jafari Bazaar, Saray-e Melli, Lalehzar, Toopkhaneh, Cheragh-Bargh, Sarcheshmeh, and other locations. Chanting slogans such as “Death to the dictator,” “Pezeshkian, shame on you; leave this country alone,” “A bazaar merchant may die but will never accept humiliation,” “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid; we are all together,” and “This year is the year of blood—Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown,” the protesters identified both the root of the problem, the velayat-e faqih regime, and the solution: resistance and uprising. This reflects the rage of a people driven to the brink by inflation, poverty, and the crushing of freedoms under the rule of the mullahs, who are no longer willing to remain silent. I call on the public, especially rebellious and freedom-seeking youth, to show solidarity with and support the uprising of the bazaar merchants.
December 28, 2025 – Tehran merchants protest economic collapse and repression
Salutes to the honorable Tehran bazaar merchants and business owners who today protested injustice and oppression by closing their shops against the plundering clerical regime. The rapid collapse of the national currency, soaring inflation, unprecedented recession, and systemic government discrimination and corruption have pushed the overwhelming majority of the Iranian people to the breaking point. The only path forward is protest and resistance.
