Anti-Khamenei Protesters Target Bullseye, Clashes Erupt In Tehran’s Grand Bazaar

9th January 2026 at 4:12 PM

2 minutes read

After slogans of "death to the dictator" and "Javid Shah", the theocratic regime of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is facing another defiant new slogan as widespread protests against the government.

New Delhi : After slogans of “death to the dictator” and “Javid Shah”, the theocratic regime of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is facing another defiant new slogan as widespread protests against the government reached its 13th day on Friday, amid mounting pressure. Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran. The slogan, which carries the weight of the Ayatollah’s regime’s foreign policy misadventures, echoed through the streets of Asgharabad town in Isfahan province, the Iran International reported on Thursday.

In the video of the protest in Asgharabad posted by the news outlet, women and men could be heard raising slogans and clapping during the nighttime rally on the streets. The chanting is of significance as it showed the will of the people rejecting Iran’s long-standing projection of power in West Asia while living standards at home continued to deteriorate. Protestors tore down an Iranian flag after taking it off a flag post in the Razavi Khorasan Province’s Mashhad, noted news agency Reuters, verifying a viral social media video.

Protestors in several locations raised slogans for the restoration of the monarchy of the Pahlavi dynasty, which was toppled by the Khamenei-led Islamic Revolution in 1979. The Ayatollah-led regime has responded with brutal force and issued stern warnings to the public, leading to the killing of at least 45 people and the arrest of over 20,000 others. The western city of Malekshahi has emerged as one of the deadliest flashpoints so far. Security forces opened fire on protesters there on Saturday night, killing at least five people and injuring nearly 30 others.

On Monday, Iranian Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei issued a stark warning, saying there would be “no leniency” toward those involved in what he described as riots. He instructed prosecutors nationwide to pursue detainees and those accused of aiding protests, while calling for the identification of alleged organisers, including figures “not visible on the streets”. The protests have also drawn international attention. US President Donald Trump said Washington was “watching events very closely” and warned of a forceful response if Iranian authorities began killing protesters.

The protests, the biggest since the year-long one in 2022-2023, follow years of mounting economic strain, with Iran grappling with soaring prices, currency depreciation and public anger over corruption and elite privilege. After the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by the Donald Trump-led US, several reports of Washington-Jerusalem contingency planning have surfaced. The capture of the Venezuelan President has reportedly rattled Tehran.