Massive protests in Iran, influenced by the exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, have entered day five, led by a significant number of Gen Z participants.
Clashes have been reported in parts of Iran between security forces and protesters since Tuesday, leading to the death of one security personnel.
According to reports, a 21-year-old volunteer in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Basij force was killed in Kouhdasht.
This marks the first security force death amid the nationwide anti-regime protests.
Various government buildings were surrounded by protesters on Day 5.
Footage shows protests turning violent, with fires being set and security forces attempting to disperse crowds by opening fire, yet protesters resisted and in some cases occupied regime buildings.
Meanwhile, the Iranian rial hit a record low of around 1.45 million to the US dollar in December 2025, inflation surged sharply, and a proposed 2026 budget included a 62 percent tax hike.
The Crown Prince has a new message for Iranians, posted on X, declaring this as the “birth of a new Iran” and adding that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is now unable to contain the growing public anger.
He also shared a New Year’s message for Iran and the international community:
“As the world welcomes the New Year, the dawn of a new era in Iran is upon us. My brave compatriots are on the streets in cities and towns across our country—fighting for their freedom, risking their lives. The current regime has reached the end of the road. It stands at its most fragile: weak, deeply divided, and unable to suppress the courage of a rising nation. The growing protests show this year will be the definitive moment for change.
To the international community: I call upon you to stand with the people of Iran not only in word but in action. Peace in the Middle East and stability across the world depend on a free Iran. Unlike the 46 years of chaos and terror this regime has brought, the new, democratic Iran I seek to forge will usher in an era of prosperity and security.”
The tide of history is turning. I invite you not only to witness the birth of a new Iran, but to stand by our side as we achieve it and to work with us to build a legacy of lasting peace.
In another post, he stated in a video address: “My brave compatriots are on the streets in cities and towns across our country—fighting for their freedom, risking their lives. The current regime has reached the end of the road. It stands at its most fragile: weak, deeply divided, and unable to suppress the courage of a rising nation. The growing protests show this year will be the definitive moment for change.”
He added: “To the international community: I call upon you to stand with the people of Iran not only in word but in action. Peace in the Middle East and stability across the world depend on a free Iran.”
Pahlavi was formally named Crown Prince in 1967 during his father’s coronation and continues to be regarded as Iran’s Crown Prince in exile despite the monarchy’s overthrow in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
After his father’s death in 1981, he declared himself king, though he remained largely removed from Iranian politics for decades.
Over the past year, he has emerged more prominently in global media, openly advocating regime change.
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