The protests in Iran seem similar to those reported in 2022, when people nationwide took to the streets to protest the Islamic Republic, but according to an Iranian activist, they are “completely different situations.”
Parisa (talking under a pseudonym to protect her family in Iran) told The Guardian that the recent protests are underpinned by broader social rebellion against rising poverty in the country, while 2022’s protests were focused on opposing the regime's Sharia laws, especially those related to how women must dress.
In an interview with The Guardian, Parisa, who participated in several protests in Iran, including the 2009 presidential election dispute, said she observed a “more masculine heart” in the recent protests.
She also pointed out that recent protests have featured chants calling for the return of the Shah, Iran’s former monarchy, and the position now held by Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
“Some were shouting: ‘Javid Shah’ (long live the Shah), ‘this is our last fight’, ‘Pahlavi is going to come back’,” she said. “Unfortunately, these chants were quite well supported.”
“My cousin and his girlfriend, who are 25 and 26, were participating in the protests every night, and until two years ago, these guys were leftists,” said Parisa. “Now they are completely pro-Pahlavi because they see Reza Pahlavi as the only leader who can bring people together and do something.
“They kept saying that he has said he doesn’t want to be king, that he just wants to lead the transition. This is something you can see mainly within the younger generation in Iran, like Generation Z,” she concluded.
Reza Pahlavi tells The Jerusalem Post he is ‘ready to join final battle’
In a recent interview with The Jerusalem Post, Pahlavi said, “Now is the time for the international community to help them.”
“In late December and early January, the Iranian people had already bravely taken to the streets as they have so many times before, braver than ever,” he told the Post. “They called on me for leadership and for direction. The regime was weaker than ever, the people more united than ever, and so I called for coordinated action on January 8 and 9, and millions took to the streets.”
His comments come as US President Donald Trump's “armada” looms over Iran, with several naval and aerial assets positioned for a possible strike.
At the same time, recent reports point towards a willingness from both the American and the Iranian sides to solve the crisis diplomatically, without the need for strikes against Iranian targets and a widespread war.
IDF Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder and Mossad Director David Barnea both recently visited the US to deliver a one-two punch of advice on how to handle Iran.
Barnea landed in the US on January 16, met with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and held other critical national security meetings, the Post has learned.
Yonah Jeremy Bob and Alex Winston contributed to this report.