{"id":6752,"date":"2026-01-08T19:57:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T18:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mondevudailleurs.ae\/?p=6752"},"modified":"2026-01-08T20:03:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T19:03:17","slug":"mass-protests-in-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mondevudailleurs.ae\/en\/mass-protests-in-iran\/","title":{"rendered":"Protesters in Iran Claim Control of Two Cities. Authorities Deny It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p style=\"line-height:1.2\">Since December 28, mass protests have been ongoing in Iran, triggered by the sharp collapse of the national currency and soaring inflation. The first actions were launched by merchants at Tehran\u2019s Grand Bazaar, but within a few days the protests spread across nearly the entire country. Ten days after the unrest began, opposition sources reported that two cities in western Iran: Abdanan and Malekshahi had come under the control of protesters. State media do not confirm this information and claim that the demonstrations were dispersed by law enforcement forces.   <\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seizure of cities and clashes with security forces<\/h4>\n\n<p style=\"line-height:1.2\">On January 7, Fox News reported, citing the National Council of Resistance of Iran, that protesters had taken control of Abdanan and Malekshahi. According to Ali Safavi, a representative of the Iranian opposition in exile, people in both cities took to the streets chanting \u201cDeath to Khamenei.\u201d <\/p>\n\n<p style=\"line-height:1.2\">The president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Maryam Rajavi, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Maryam_Rajavi\/status\/2008610341933158584\">said<\/a> on the social media platform X that protesters had \u201cforced the repressors to retreat\u201d and expressed support for those taking part in the demonstrations.<\/p>\n\n<p style=\"line-height:1.2\">Abdanan is located in Ilam Province in western Iran, near the border with Iraq. Malekshahi lies about 100 kilometers away. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/ncri-statements\/statement-iran-protest\/iran-malekshahi-and-abdanan-fall-to-the-people-as-repressive-forces-flee-from-rebellious-youth\/\">opposition<\/a> sources, fighters from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attempted to disperse demonstrators in Abdanan, after which protesters set fire to a store belonging to the Ofogh Kourosh retail chain, which is linked to the IRGC.  <\/p>\n\n<p style=\"line-height:1.2\">In Malekshahi, clashes began during the funeral of Fares Agha Mohammadi, who was killed in the previous days. Local sources claim that after protesters took control of Abdanan, police officers began joining the demonstrators. <\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Authorities\u2019 response and the official narrative<\/h4>\n\n<p style=\"line-height:1.2\">Iranian state news agencies deny that control over the cities was lost. The Irna news agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irna.ir\/news\/86047213\/%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%86%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%B1-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85\">reports<\/a> that police used tear gas in Abdanan to disperse protesters, while Tasnim <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasnimnews.com\/fa\/news\/1404\/10\/17\/3489939\/%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%86%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D8%BA%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A2%D8%A8%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86\">claims<\/a> that demonstrators later dispersed and that \u201cpeace and security\u201d were quickly restored.  <\/p>\n\n<p style=\"line-height:1.2\">Iranian authorities have not issued separate statements regarding the alleged seizure of Abdanan and Malekshahi. However, Iran\u2019s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi responded to remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who said the United States was ready to \u201ccome to the aid\u201d of Iranian protesters, stating that \u201cIran\u2019s internal affairs concern no one but its people.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n<p style=\"line-height:1.2\">Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Khamenei_fa\/status\/2007402047981887838\">commented<\/a> on the protests only once, on January 3. He acknowledged the existence of economic problems but attributed currency instability to the \u201cwork of the enemy.\u201d According to him, \u201cprotest is justified,\u201d but \u201criots are unacceptable,\u201d and there is \u201cnothing to discuss with vandals.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scale of the protests and casualties<\/h4>\n\n<p style=\"line-height:1.2\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cre28d2j2zxo\">BBC Verify<\/a>, protests have affected at least 17 of Iran\u2019s 31 provinces. In Tehran, demonstrations by merchants at the Grand Bazaar continue, joined by students. In several districts of the capital, protests have escalated into clashes with regime security forces.  <\/p>\n\n<p style=\"line-height:1.2\">According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.en-hrana.org\/detailed-report-on-the-tenth-day-of-protests-36-dead-in-285-demonstrations\/\">HRANA<\/a>), at least 36 people were killed during the first ten days of protests \u2014 34 protesters and two members of the security forces. More than 2,000 people have been arrested. Human rights activists have documented protests in 27 provinces and at 22 universities across the country.  <\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Opposition in exile<\/h4>\n\n<p style=\"line-height:1.2\">Iranian opposition leader in exile Reza Pahlavi has voiced support for the protests. In an op-ed published on January 6 in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2026\/01\/06\/pahlavi-iran-democracy-transition-planning\/\">The Washington Post<\/a>, he wrote that Iran has found itself \u201con the brink of profound transformation\u201d and in its most vulnerable position since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Pahlavi also said he is ready to lead a transition period and called for the unification of the country\u2019s democratic forces.  <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__avatar\"><img alt='Avatar photo' src='https:\/\/www.mondevudailleurs.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cropped-Simple-Minimalist-Creative-Studio-Logo-150-x-100-px-96x96.png' srcset='https:\/\/www.mondevudailleurs.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cropped-Simple-Minimalist-Creative-Studio-Logo-150-x-100-px-192x192.png 2x' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' \/><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">La R\u00e9daction<\/p><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Since December 28, mass protests have been ongoing in Iran, triggered by the sharp collapse of the national&hellip;","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[48],"class_list":{"0":"post-6752","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-politics","7":"tag-articles-en","8":"cs-entry","9":"cs-video-wrap"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Mass Protests in Iran - Le Monde Vu D&#039;ailleurs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mass protests have been shaking Iran for more than a week. 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