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Live Blog: Trump: 'Iran Is In Big Trouble'

Driven by soaring prices, inflation, and a plunging currency, Iranians have taken to the streets in what is the biggest threat to the Islamic regime in years. Journalists from RFE/RL’s Iranian service, Radio Farda, bring you the latest developments, analysis, and reporting from on the ground.

Key Takeaways:

  • Cyber watchdog NetBlocks says Iran is experiencing a "national Internet blackout."
  • RFE/RL's Radio Farda has verified the deaths of 25 protesters. Some human rights groups say the actual number is higher, and that over 2,000 people have been arrested.
  • Journalists are being summoned by the authorities in Iran in a warning against covering the protests.
  • Traders in Kurdish parts of the country have gone on strike in support of the protesters.
  • Following comments by US President Donald Trump, who has twice explicitly warned that Washington would deliver a severe blow to Tehran if it killed peaceful protesters, Iran's Defense Council warned the Islamic republic would not confine itself to responding after an attack by its adversaries.
20:48 8.1.2026

Here's some footage shared on shared on social media, which RFE/RL's Radio Farda has determined shows protesters marching tonight on Tehran's Ayatollah Kashani Boulevard.

18:58 8.1.2026

The independent Internet observatory NetBlocks is now reporting that parts of Iran are entering a "digital blackout."

And cybersecurity and digital rights expert Amir Rashidi has also been weighing in.

18:01 8.1.2026

Soleimani Statue Toppled As Iran Protests Gain Momentum

Anti-government protesters in Iran's Fars Province toppled a statue honoring deceased Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, the former head of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), as demonstrations continued for an 11th night on January 7.

Soleimani Statue Toppled As Iran Protests Gain Momentum Soleimani Statue Toppled As Iran Protests Gain Momentum
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17:59 8.1.2026

With Internet outages being reported across the country, NetBlocks -- an independent digital rights watchdog that monitors global web connectivity, censorship, and cyber shutdowns -- is reporting mass breakdowns in Internet service in Iran.

16:34 8.1.2026

Iran's Protests Are Gaining Momentum

We have just published a feature by one of our Iran writers, Kian Sharifi, on how the protests are gaining momentum. The tl;dr summary is:

Kian Sharifi
Kian Sharifi

* Protests over Iran’s economic crisis have spread to major cities and small towns, with strikes in bazaars and growing public anger.

* Demonstrators have targeted symbols of the clerical system, including statues of General Qasem Soleimani and the national flag adopted after 1979.

* Security forces have used force but failed to stop large crowds, while authorities have slowed Internet access ahead of planned nationwide strikes.

Read the full piece here.

15:12 8.1.2026

Filmmakers Condemn The Violence Against Protesters

The Cinema House, Iran's film industry trade union, has said that it "stands in solidarity...with the oppressed people" of Iran.

In a statement, the trade union said,"The streets are the only option left for people who find no escape or outlet to express their protests."

The Cinema House emphasized that "violence against peaceful protesters is neither legitimate, nor legal, nor rational."

In reference to senior officials calling the protesters "rioters," the trade union said that the real "rioters have been profiting from plundering national wealth without any punishment, from untying foreign policy knots, even at the cost of war, and living under the shadow of security."

Meanwhile, 184 Iranian filmmakers have issued a statement supporting the protesters saying, "We condemn the suppression of the people's protests under any pretext."

Shooting at unarmed protesters, the filmmakers said, is "a crime against the right to life and has no justification."

13:59 8.1.2026

Radio Farda Confirms 25 Deaths So Far

RFE/RL's Radio Farda has so far verified the deaths of 25 protesters. Some human rights groups say the actual number is higher, and that over 2,000 people have been arrested.

Here's a map showing where the protesters were killed:


13:51 8.1.2026

Video: Protesters Rip Up Iranian Flag In Mashhad

As nationwide protests continued for an 11th night across Iran, protesters in Mashhad tore down the national flag and ripped it to shreds. Iran's current national flag was adopted after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and critics of the Islamic republic refer to this flag as the regime's flag's, not the country's.

WATCH: Protesters Rip Apart Iranian Flag
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12:13 8.1.2026

Veteran Reformist Politician Says Iranian Government 'No Longer Sustainable'

Azar Mansuri
Azar Mansuri

Azar Mansuri, a prominent reformist politician known for her long-standing advocacy for women's rights, says the recent protests in Iran have shown that even just living a "normal life" in Iran has become a "fundamental issue" that is "directly linked to national security, political stability, and public trust."

Mansuri is the head of the Reformists' Front, a political alliance of smaller reformist parties, and the leader of the Nation's Union, a large reformist party that has held seats in parliament and on city councils.

Speaking at the 11th National Congress of the Nation's Union Party, she condemned any "negative confrontation" with the protesters and said that the "government in this situation is no longer sustainable."

Mansuri expressed sadness over the recent deaths of several protesters and called for the release of all those who have been detained by the authorities, especially women, teenagers, and students.

The crisis in Iran, she said, is "above all, a crisis of governance" that encompasses "all spheres."

Mansuri emphasized that "no system -- even if it has the most powerful instruments of military power -- can survive in the long term without the relative consent and active participation of the people."

Regarding Iranian foreign policy, Mansuri said that Iran is "more trapped in strategic isolation than ever before."

11:49 8.1.2026

Video Footage Shows Security Forces Firing Tear Gas In Neyshabur

A video sent to RFE/RL's Radio Farda shows protests in Neyshabur, the second-largest city in Khorasan Province, which began in the morning on January 7 and continued past 9 p.m.

The footage, recorded mostly at the Daraei intersection in Neyshabur, shows government forces firing tear gas and a police station on fire.

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