Pro-Government Rally in Response to Recent Protests

Following six days of anti-government protests in Iran, on Wednesday, January 3, supporters of the government held rallies in various cities across Iran. State television broadcast live images of gatherings in Kermanshah and Ilam, where participants held pictures of Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, and Iranian flags. AFP reported that government supporters also took to the streets in Ahvaz, Gorgan, and other cities. Reuters noted that the most serious challenge to the established regime in Iran continued until Tuesday night. The agency added that social media reflected a heavy police presence in various cities across Iran. On Tuesday, Ayatollah Khamenei, in his first response to the recent protests, accused 'enemies of Iran' of being involved in the unrest. These protests, which began in Mashhad, initially had more economic demands, but later a group of protesters shouted slogans against the Islamic Republic's leader and called for the dismantling of the Islamic Republic. These protests are the largest street protests since the post-election protests of 2009, which led to the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi. Reuters reports that at least 21 people have been killed in the recent protests, including two security forces. According to this report and officials, more than 450 people have been arrested in Tehran and hundreds more across the country during the recent unrest. As the protests spread, Telegram and Facebook were blocked in Iran, and the internet faced intermittent disruptions. According to Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, the platform had 40 million users in Iran. Telegram served as a channel for receiving news and videos from unofficial domestic and foreign sources during the recent protests. Reuters states that rising prices, corruption, and mismanagement have fueled the protesters' anger. The agency also reported that President Hassan Rouhani managed to lift most international sanctions against Iran after the nuclear deal but failed to deliver on promises to create prosperity in a country with 28.8% unemployment. According to this report, the nuclear deal has faced its biggest challenge since Donald Trump became President of the United States. In this context, Macron called for restraint from Iran in dealing with protesters. Gunfire targeted the governor's office in Lanjan, Isfahan. A 13-year-old student was shot dead in Khomeini Shahr. The United States called for an emergency Security Council meeting regarding developments in Iran.