The Islamic Republic of Iran is currently in the middle of the country’s largest protests since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. According to the BBC, Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Iranian Shah, has called on the world to help Iranian protesters topple the government.
Iran is the second largest country in the Middle East by land size, being smaller than Saudi Arabia. It has been under the Islamic government, the rule of a Supreme ruler, since the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
Iran used to be under the Pahlavi family’s rule until 1979, when people took to the streets to protest against the reforms the Shah was making. The reforms were inspired by the United States, which upset the people, leading to the Shah being overthrown and replaced by Ruhollah Khomeini.
On Dec. 28, 2025, protests erupted in Tehran, the capital of Iran, due to the economic crisis affecting the country since 2022. United States President Donald Trump has threatened to invade Iran if the protests were violently suppressed. The BBC reports that more than 2,600 protesters have been killed.
The government cut all internet in the country on Jan. 9. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khomeini went on state television claiming the protests were “backed by Iran’s enemies”, and also claimed that if the U.S. attacked Iran, Israeli and U.S. military forces would be “legitimate targets”.
According to the BBC, Pahlavi claims “the Iranian people are taking decisive action on the ground. It is now time for the international community to join them fully.” He also exclaimed that “with or without the world’s help, the regime will fall. It will fall sooner and more lives will be saved if the world turns its words into action.”
Pahlavi has vowed to return to Iran and laid out a plan to make a new constitution for the country. He stated, “It’s for the Iranian people to decide,” when asked about future leadership in Iran.
The protests are the largest since 2022, when nationwide demonstrations erupted after the death of 22-year-old Masha Amini while in police custody following her arrest for wearing her hijab improperly according to Iranian law.
The BBC reports that the U.S and United Kingdom have reduced the number of personnel in the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, which is its neighboring Iran, calling their withdrawal of troops a “precautionary measure.”
