Riots in Iran have triggered anti-Iranian regime protests across the globe, Reza Syed discusses the differing narratives that have shaped how states and people perceive the riots.
In a headline-filled start to 2026, Iran has dominated world news with civil unrest threatening to plunge West Asia into chaos. The civil strife has highlighted a narrative war as foreign actors and Iranian state officials differ in how they discuss civilian protests.
Turmoil originated in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar as shopkeepers shut stores on 28 December, 2025, expressing grievances against economic crisis. On 14 January, the currency of Iran, the Iranian Rial, plummeted to 1.4 million Rial to $1 USD, the lowest in its history. This combined with stagflation, have hamstrung Iran’s economy. The current situation has become Iran's worst civil unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The 12-Day War in June 2025 between Iran and Israel killed over 600 people and caused severe damage to key infrastructure. Since then, Iran’s state of heightened alert prompted the government to focus on defence and security, redirecting resources from civil society and exacerbated prices of necessities like food, fuel and medicines.
Initially, protests spread across the country with citizens demonstrating against economic policies. However, these protests transformed into riots, targeting government buildings, banks, medical facilities, mosques, educational institutions, tourist sites, security and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facilities.
Meanwhile, the Iran-Iraq border witnessed another armed Kurdish separatist insurgency as fighters crossed into Iran clashing with IRGC forces, worsening volatility in minority regions. Similarly, the border with Pakistan experienced escalating clashes from armed Baloch insurgents.
Western support for the riots further insinuated violence within Iran with Mossad tweeting in Farsi: “Come out to the streets together. The time has come. We are with you. Not only from afar and not just in words. We are with you in the field as well.”
Former CIA director, Mike Pompeo, tweeted “Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets. Also to every Mossad agent walking beside them...” tagging US President Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA director John Ratcliffe.
With Iran’s unrest peaking, threatening regional spillover and facing an active, expressed external threat, martial law was imposed alongside internet and communications blackouts. While Elon Musk mobilised Starlink services, Iranian security apparatus jammed services and seized Starlink devices citing internal security reasons. Internal communications and intranet have now been restored.
The chaos in Iran mobilised anti-Iranian regime protests in the US, UK, Germany and France. Meanwhile, Türkiye, Lebanon and Pakistan saw pro-government protests. Likewise, states were split with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Pakistan, Russia and China denouncing coup attempts and violent rioters.
The US, UK and EU have supported the anti-regime protests whilst condemning the Iranian government’s crackdown. The US and EU have further sanctioned Iran, with the EU banning Iranian diplomats from its Brussels headquarters.
Iran’s worst civil unrest in 47 years has yielded massive death tolls. Official state TV reported 3,117 deaths which includes civilians, security personnel, militants and riot instigators, while western human rights organisations estimated between 2000-12000 have died.
Iran’s President Pezeshkian pledges policy reforms stating, “it is our duty, we should resolve their concerns”. He has also denounced Western interference, accusing the US and Israel of “sowing chaos and disorder” to weaken Iran and highlighted the suffocation of international sanctions on the nation’s economy and people.