Iran’s ‘Hunger Revolution’: Fierce rebellion spreads to 31 provinces, Trump calls former prince

Fierce rebellion spreads to 31 provinces in 12 days. Protesters set government buildings ablaze, Trump calls former Prince Reza Pahlavi. Is the Mullah regime about to fall? Read the full report.

Iran is currently witnessing its largest anti-government protests against the Islamic rule. The speed at which this movement has spread to all 31 provinces of the country in just 12 days has alarmed Iran's clerics. In the first week itself, the government was forced to deploy the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to quell the movement. Meanwhile, the anger of the protesters is escalating, and they have now started setting government properties on fire. In Isfahan, an building of Iran's state television, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, was set ablaze. At the same time, in the strategically important port city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, a large crowd of protesters damaged public property on the streets.

In the city of Shazand in Markazi Province, protesters set fire to the Governor's building. Videos clearly show protesters chanting slogans against Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the founder of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini. The panicked government imposed an internet blackout across the country on Friday. Ordinary citizens are finding it difficult to access the internet. Gunshots were repeatedly heard in the Tehranspars area of Tehran. Protesters threw petrol bottles at Fatemi Square in Iran and attempted to break into the Ministry of Interior building late at night. On Friday, for the first time, a government building in Tehran was set on fire. Tehran's airport has been closed, and several countries have cancelled their flights to Tehran. Security forces have used live fire, pellet guns, and tear gas.

Trump Summons Former Ruler Pahlavi to America

So far, 45 people have been killed during these protests, and approximately 2,200 protesters have been arrested. However, the suppression of this movement is having a counterproductive effect. The movement now includes people from all strata of society and from remote areas. Protesters are saying they are hungry. While the 2022 anti-hijab movement was primarily confined to cities and the youth, this time, thousands of people have taken to the streets from the capital Tehran to Mashhad, Isfahan, Tabriz, and dozens of other cities, chanting slogans demanding the clerics to leave. There seems to be no impact, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei himself has now come forward, stating that the protesters are trying to please Trump. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has summoned Iran's former ruler Reza Pahlavi for a meeting.

Impact of Former Prince's Appeal Seen for the First Time

Following an appeal by the exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Tehran and other cities. Slogans of "Freedom-Freedom" and "Death to Khamenei" were heard on the streets of Iran. In some places, posters of the exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi were also seen.

Current Movement is Wider Than the 2022 Movement

• Main Reason for the Movement: This time, the movement has started not over a limited issue like the hijab, but due to rampant inflation, economic distress, and the struggle for sustenance.
• Base of Protesters: In the 2022 hijab movement, youth, students, and women were primarily at the forefront. Urban middle-class people were its face. But now, market traders, labourers, and the elderly have also joined. It has spread to rural areas and conservative regions (like Mashhad) that were considered strongholds of the regime.
• Change in Slogans: While the slogans in 2022 were "Woman, Life, Freedom," now the main slogans being heard are – "Neither Gaza, Nor Lebanon, My Life for Iran" and "The Clerics Must Leave Iran." An important slogan of the protesters is – "We are hungry, you sit as gods."
• Enemy is in Iran, Not America: The public is now extremely angry that while people within the country are struggling for basic necessities, the government is spending billions of dollars on its proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria (like Hezbollah and Hamas). This is why the slogan "Neither Gaza, Nor Lebanon" is the loudest this time. Also, the slogan "Our enemy is here, they lie that it is America" is resonating widely.
• Rapid Spread: The hijab movement spread slowly and reached all provinces over a long period. But this time, with the relatively conservative market people joining the movement, it has spread very rapidly across the country.