Washington, DC [US], January 7 (ANI): US Republicans on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said anti-regime protests are flaring up across Iran and are loosening the Iranian regime’s grip on the nation.
In a post on social media platform X, the committee said anti-regime protesters are rising up and claiming entire cities, adding that Iranians have had enough of what it described as a tyrannical leadership. The committee said the regime’s grip on the country is unraveling.
Meanwhile, Iran’s former crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, said Iranians are more committed than ever to bringing an end to the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, describing the current moment as an opportunity for the country to free itself from what he called a tyrannical regime.
Speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity, Pahlavi said he had never seen an opportunity like the one unfolding in Iran today. He said millions of people have taken to the streets in more than 100 cities, chanting slogans calling for the end of the regime, and described the scale of demonstrations as unprecedented.
According to a report by the Institute for the Study of War, the rate of protests across Iran declined slightly on January 5 and 6 compared with January 2 to 4. The report said the Iranian regime is likely attempting to appease protesters by approving economic reforms, including subsidies for basic goods. Iran’s parliament approved a revised second edition of the 2026–2027 budget bill on January 5, the report added.
Iran has seen protests spread rapidly amid an increased deployment of armed security personnel, as government efforts to contain a worsening economic situation appear to be failing, according to Al Jazeera.
Footage accessed by Al Jazeera showed large protests on Tuesday night in the city of Abdanan, in the central province of Ilam, where several major demonstrations have taken place over the past week. Thousands of people, including families with children, were seen marching and chanting in the streets while helicopters flew overhead. The protesters appeared to vastly outnumber the security forces deployed to contain them.
In the provincial capital of Ilam, videos showed security forces storming the Imam Khomeini Hospital to identify and arrest protesters. Rights group Amnesty International said such actions violate international law and demonstrate how far Iranian authorities are willing to go to suppress dissent.
State-linked media confirmed that at least three people were killed. They also reported that a police officer was shot dead after armed clashes erupted following funeral processions for protesters who had been killed.
Iran continues to record one of the highest inflation rates in the world, particularly in the prices of essential food items, according to Al Jazeera. President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration has said it is implementing measures to stabilize the economy, but a rapid decline continues.
The country’s currency, the rial, was trading at more than 1.47 million to the US dollar in the open market in Tehran on Tuesday, marking another all-time low and reflecting a lack of public and investor confidence.
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