The protests that began on Sunday, January 7, 1404, with shopkeepers and merchants taking to the streets in Tehran and closing their shops quickly spread across Iran. The protests started with economic and livelihood slogans but soon turned political, targeting the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the structure of the government.
On the tenth day, images of a flood of crowds in the city of Abadan in Ilam were widely circulated on social media, showcasing the extent of the protests across Iran.
Following the widespread presence of protesters called by Reza Pahlavi on Thursday, January 18, and Friday, January 19, and the brutal crackdown and killings of protesters, the situation drew global condemnation.
The Iranian government's reaction from the outset even involved Donald Trump, the President of the United States, who warned that if the Islamic Republic of Iran killed its people, he would take action. However, Trump later refrained from military action against Iran, stating that Iranian leaders had prevented the execution of opponents.
This timeline provides a condensed overview of the protests in January 1404 in Iran, covering events up to the end of the twentieth day.
On the twentieth day; Message from Prince Reza Pahlavi and Trump's thanks to Iranian leaders
On Friday, January 26: On this day, Prince Reza Pahlavi held a press conference in Washington, stating, "Anyone who accepts the four main conditions of Iran's territorial integrity, separation of religion from government, equality of citizens before the law, and individual rights and the right to freely determine their destiny can join our bus."
The former crown prince of Iran also mentioned in his press conference that "the people of Iran have turned to him and... I will return to Iran."
He also stated, "President Trump is someone who keeps his word and will ultimately stand with the people of Iran."
On this day, Donald Trump thanked Iranian leaders for what he called the "cancellation of executions of over 800 people." He wrote on Truth Social: "I greatly respect the fact that all planned executions that were supposed to take place yesterday (more than 800 of them) have been canceled by the leadership of Iran."
At the same time, Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, expressed hope that issues with Iran would be resolved diplomatically rather than militarily.
On this day, the Kremlin announced that Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, had offered to mediate in separate phone calls with the Prime Minister of Israel and the President of Iran.
Moscow's mediation efforts come amid concerns of a military confrontation in the region following the deadly crackdown on protesters in Iran and the U.S. warning of potential intervention.
While many global artists and writers, such as Elif Shafak, J.K. Rowling, and Madonna, supported the protesters, Roger Waters, an English singer and songwriter, controversially stated that Iranian protesters do not seek regime change in Iran, a statement that faced widespread backlash.
The London police reported that on the evening of this day, a gathering of several Iranians outside the Islamic Republic's embassy in London turned violent, resulting in one protester being arrested and several police officers injured.
Simultaneously with the nationwide protests in Iran, opponents of the Islamic Republic have recently staged demonstrations in front of Iranian embassies and consulates in London and other European cities to support the protesters.
On the nineteenth; Emergency UN Security Council meeting on Iran
On Thursday, January 25: An emergency UN Security Council meeting was held to discuss the situation in Iran.
This session, called at the request of the U.S., began with remarks from the Deputy Secretary-General, who provided a summary of the events of the past two weeks in Iran: "Demonstrators called for the overthrow of the government and the attainment of dignity and human rights."
After that, ambassadors from member countries spoke about the situation in Iran. The U.S. representative stated that Donald Trump is "a man of action, not words" and that "all options to prevent this slaughter remain on the table, and Iranian officials know this well."
During this session, Masih Alinejad and Ahmad Batebi also referred to the Iranian government's history of violent repression against protesters and opponents both inside and outside the country. Ms. Alinejad mentioned a plot to assassinate her in the U.S.
The representatives of Russia and China at this meeting supported Iran's positions and deemed the basis for convening this session a waste of time.
At the end of the meeting, the Iranian ambassador accused the U.S. and Israel of interfering in the events of the past week in the country and stated that Ms. Alinejad and Mr. Batebi do not represent the people of Iran.
Earlier, Donald Trump referred to reports indicating that a young person arrested during the protests in Iran, contrary to previous concerns, was not facing the death penalty.
On this day, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of the judiciary, told the Tasnim news agency: "Elements connected to foreign services and their links, whether in the field or outside, who provided guidance to rioters and terrorists, are among the priorities for trial and punishment."
One of the officials from Gulf countries told CNN that in the past 72 hours, four Arab countries have engaged in intensive diplomatic consultations to reduce tensions between Washington and Tehran.
According to this official, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have asked the U.S. to refrain from any attacks against Iran. These countries warned that any military action could have security and economic repercussions for the U.S. and the entire region.
On this day, the U.S. government released a new list of individuals, companies, and entities subject to sanctions against Iran. Scott Basset, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, stated that new sanctions have been imposed against "the architects of the repression of protests in Iran." He also mentioned in a television interview with Newsmax that "Iranian government officials are taking their money out of the country."
In the early hours of this day, Iran's airspace was reopened after several hours of closure. This comes as internet access in Iran has been cut off for a week. According to Amnesty International, this is an attempt to suppress nationwide protests and prevent the dissemination of documents and evidence of repression.
On the eighteenth; Trump claimed 'stop of killings' in Iran
On Wednesday, January 24: On this day, Donald Trump stated that based on information he received from "reliable sources," the killings in Iran have stopped and executions will not take place.
He added that there is currently no plan to carry out death sentences. The U.S. President also warned that the resumption of killings or executions would provoke a response from the U.S.
After reports of thousands of protesters being killed in recent days, it seems many protesters are living in fear of the consequences. Iranian judicial officials say they will expedite the trials of those arrested during the protests.
Mr. Trump also commented on Prince Reza Pahlavi to Reuters, saying: "He seems like a really good guy, but I don’t know how he will act inside his own country. We really haven’t reached that stage yet. I don’t know if his country will accept his leadership or not, and certainly if they do, I have no problem with it."
He stated in this interview that the fall of the Tehran government under pressure from protests is possible: "Whether it falls or not, we will see, and it will be interesting."
At the same time, reports emerged that the Iranian government announced the closure of its airspace, stating that this situation would last between January 14 (Wednesday) and January 15 (Thursday). There were also numerous reports of movements of American and British forces in the region, particularly at the U.S. military base in Qatar, which was later described as a "precautionary" measure.
With escalating threats, Britain announced that it was temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran and evacuating its ambassador and staff from Iran. Several other countries also urged their citizens to leave Iran and avoid traveling to the country.
More than 140 hours have passed since the internet was cut off in Iran. Starlink satellite internet equipment is currently the only way to access the internet in the country.
Under the current circumstances, access to news, apart from foreign television networks, is limited to a handful of government-affiliated media within Iran.
On the seventeenth: 'Final Days and Weeks'
On Tuesday, January 23: Reports from Iran indicate unprecedented violence in dealing with protesters.
Earlier, Reuters and human rights organizations estimated the death toll between 2,000 to 5,000 people. However, as more news emerged from Iran, the numbers increased. Due to internet and phone outages and limited access to Iran, human rights organizations warn that the actual figures may be several times higher than those confirmed so far.
CBS, a news partner of the BBC in the U.S., reported on Tuesday night that the number of dead was around 12,000, according to a source inside and one outside Iran, with the explanation that the number could reach 20,000.
Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that in recent days, "we have witnessed disruptions in access" and that "the current internet restrictions are due to the current security situation."
Several world leaders also reacted with concern over the extent of violence against protesters. Friedrich Merz, the Chancellor of Germany, predicted that the Iranian government is going through its "final days and weeks." He stated, "When a regime can only maintain power through violence, it is effectively at an end. I believe we are now witnessing the final days and weeks of this regime."
UN human rights experts also condemned the Islamic Republic's actions in seriously violating human rights during the recent nationwide protests.
Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, and three other rapporteurs from the organization on extrajudicial and arbitrary executions and freedom of assembly and association signed this statement. Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, also supported it.
Additionally, Prince Reza Pahlavi addressed the protesters in Iran on X, saying: "Continue the fight. Do not let this regime normalize the situation. After all this recent killing, there is a sea of blood between us and this regime. Write down the names of these criminals. One day they will pay for their actions."
Donald Trump, the President of the United States, urged the people of Iran to continue protesting.
He wrote: "Iranian patriots, continue your protests. Occupy government institutions. Record the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a heavy price. I have canceled all negotiations with Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protesters stops. Help is on the way. Let’s restore greatness to Iran."
He had previously emphasized that if protesters in Iran were executed, the U.S. would respond harshly to the Iranian government.
Mr. Trump warned that if Iranian officials execute anti-government protesters this week, Washington will take "very serious action."
On the sixteenth: Global condemnation of the killing of protesters and Trump's tariffs
On Monday, January 22: On this day, Iranian state television broadcast images of government supporters' rallies in several cities in Iran.
This gathering was held at the call of government institutions, and various media outlets repeatedly urged Iranian citizens to participate in this rally.
Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, praised the government demonstrations in a written message, stating that "these gatherings thwarted the plans of foreign enemies that were supposed to be executed by internal mercenaries."
Mr. Khamenei called these demonstrations a warning to American politicians to "stop their deception and not rely on treacherous mercenaries."
On this day, Mohsen Mohseni Ejei, the head of the judiciary in Iran, reiterated his warning that "without mercy" they would deal with those responsible for the killing of "innocent people," claiming that "armed individuals" were acting under the open support of Israel and the U.S.
This threat from Mr. Ejei to deal without mercy with the "perpetrators" of the killings comes as the Iranian government faces severe international pressure and criticism due to the high death toll in recent protests.
No official figures have been released regarding the number of casualties, but human rights organizations estimate that thousands have been killed and injured since the onset of the new wave of protests in Iran.
With about four days having passed since the nationwide internet shutdown in Iran, the head of the National Cyberspace Center announced that some domestic messaging apps in the government and services sector have resumed operations. NetBlocks, which monitors internet access restrictions worldwide, confirmed on Monday that the internet shutdown in Iran has exceeded 84 hours.
On this day, Shahbanu Farah Pahlavi, the former queen of Iran, addressed the people, stating: "Your courage, patriotism, and sacrifice in these days have earned the respect of the world, and millions from various countries have expressed their support for you."
Many global politicians, including the Prime Ministers of Germany and Ireland and the President of France, also condemned the widespread and brutal repression of protesters by the Iranian government.
The European Parliament also banned the entry of diplomats and other representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran into its buildings. Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, stated that the actions of the Iranian government are unacceptable.