Iran International
As protests continue across Iran under a near-total internet shutdown, a viral clip showing a cleric calling for the Islamic Republic’s overthrow has fueled debate over the role of the clergy and broader shifts in public attitudes.
The widely circulated video appears to show an elderly cleric who identifies himself as Ali Kashani. Responding to a question from a woman filming him on a busy street that appears to be in Tehran, he says he opposes what he calls a “criminal and murderer” government as shoppers and passersby move through the scene.
In the footage, he denounces Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, and what he describes as “his sedition,” saying it has harmed the people, the country and religion, and calls on people to rise up against it. A woman off camera is heard chanting “Death to Khamenei” and insulting Khomeini, while the cleric signals approval.
A notable feature of the current wave of protests has been the visible turnout in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, and Qom, a center of Shi’ite seminaries. Both cities have long been seen as bastions of hardline clerics who wield influence over local governance, including the appointment and removal of officials.
During recent demonstrations, protesters in several cities chanted slogans such as “Clerics must go and get lost” and “Until clerics are in shrouds, the homeland will not be free.”
In several cities, protesters have used anti-clerical slogans, and some have targeted religious sites, with reports that a seminary in Mashhad and a mosque at Kaj Square in Tehran were set on fire.
During the earlier “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, videos of people knocking off clerics’ turbans also spread widely, becoming a symbol of opposition to the religious establishment.
Secularization of Iranian society
The Iranian government has long sought to present public religious rituals – such as Ashura commemorations, which many Iranians continue to observe annually – as evidence of popular support for the Islamic Republic. However, many analysts argue that Iranian society has moved closer to secularism in recent years than at any time since the 1979 revolution.
Even among those who maintain religious beliefs, hostility toward religious governance has grown. For most Iranians, religion is increasingly seen as a personal matter rather than a political system.
In February 2024, the results of a confidential research report commissioned by state institutions were leaked. The study was based on face-to-face interviews with more than 15,000 randomly selected individuals aged over 15 across Iran. According to the findings, over 70% of respondents supported the separation of religion and politics, while only slightly more than 20% opposed it.
The same survey found that 85% of respondents believed religious observance among the population had declined compared with five years earlier, and more than 80% expected society to become even less religious over the following five years.
Online reactions
Within a short time of being posted, the video was viewed hundreds of thousands of times and drew strong reactions before internet access was fully shut down.
Many users accused the cleric of opportunism, arguing he had shifted his position because he believed the Islamic Republic’s collapse was imminent.
One user wrote: “Why the rush now? He could have waited another 46 years to testify to these Islamic crimes and plunder.” Another wrote: “A good cleric is a dead cleric… die and make a nation happy.”
Another commenter wrote: “Don’t be fooled by clerics. Anyone who still gets excited by these words after 47 years of humiliation under clerical rule is nothing but a traitorous fool.
A good cleric is a dead cleric.” Another wrote: “If there were any honorable clerics, they would have abandoned this robe and turban – symbols of oppression – long ago.”
A few users sought to distinguish between ideology and appearance. One wrote: “When I say ‘death to clerics,’ I mean death to that outdated political and ideological system – not the person’s clothing.” Some users, however, expressed cautious agreement with the cleric’s remarks. One wrote: “I don’t care about his clothes or his profession, but he’s telling the truth. No one has harmed religion the way they have.”
A pro-government user reacted angrily, writing: “This cleric is an infidel who thinks religion is nothing but myths and stories. Imam Khomeini and Imam Khamenei are no less than prophets and divinely appointed imams, like Imam Ali and Imam Hussein.”
Videos and eyewitness accounts reviewed by Iran International showed crowds gathering after dark in Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, Tabriz and other cities despite gunfire, blocked roads and widespread disruptions to communications. The demonstrations followed massive rallies the previous night that was described as among the largest since the unrest began.
Eyewitnesses in Tehran described demonstrators regrouping after nightfall in multiple neighborhoods, blocking major roads, setting fire to police vehicles, and chanting anti-government slogans as security forces attempted to disperse crowds. Chants of “Death to the dictator” and “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran” echoed through the capital, while car horns blared continuously in what witnesses described as coordinated acts of defiance.
In Isfahan, video verified by Iran International showed a large crowd chanting “Khamenei is a murderer, his rule is illegitimate,” alongside monarchist slogans including “Long live the King.”
In Mashhad, protesters filled major streets chanting “This is the last battle, Pahlavi will return,” according to eyewitnesses, as demonstrations continued despite heavy security deployments.
Footage from Tabriz showed protesters marching through city streets as the sound of gunfire rang out nearby, while other videos captured demonstrators disabling surveillance cameras and erecting makeshift barricades.
Eyewitness accounts from southern and central cities described similar scenes, with crowds converging on symbolic locations, burning banners and posters associated with the Islamic Republic, and remaining in the streets for hours despite internet outages and disruptions to phone service and electronic payments.
Several witnesses told Iran International that security forces appeared overstretched in some areas, relying on intimidation tactics, warning shots and use of force. In other locations, particularly in southeastern Iran, rights groups reported that security forces fired directly on protesters in Zahedan after Friday prayers, wounding several people.
Authorities threaten executions, tighten pressure
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned US President Donald Trump that he would be brought down.
“Trump should know that world tyrants such as Pharaoh, Nimrod, Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza were brought down at the peak of their arrogance. He too will be brought down,” Khamenei said in remarks aired on state television.
The Islamic Republic, he said, would not retreat in the face of unrest. “Everyone should know that the Islamic Republic came to power with the blood of hundreds of thousands of honorable people, and it will not back down in the face of saboteurs,” he added.
Tehran’s public prosecutor, Ali Salehi, said those accused of arson, destruction of public property or armed clashes with security forces would face charges of moharebeh, an offense that carries the death penalty under Iranian law.
Separately, Ali Larijani, Iran’s security chief, blamed what he described as “armed protesters” for fatalities during the unrest and said security forces had begun arresting what he called ringleaders. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards intelligence organization also issued a warning saying the continuation of protests was “unacceptable.”
The Supreme National Security Council accused foreign powers of steering the unrest and said security forces and the judiciary would show no leniency toward what it called saboteurs. Education officials announced that schools in several provinces would move to online classes, citing security concerns and disruptions caused by the blackout.
Exiled prince urges sustained action and strikes
Exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi urged protesters to return to the streets over the weekend, push toward central city areas and prepare for prolonged presence. He also called on workers in transportation, oil, gas and the broader energy sector to begin nationwide strikes aimed at cutting off state revenues.
Pahlavi said the demonstrations had exposed vulnerabilities within the security apparatus and appealed to members of the armed forces who support the opposition’s defection platform to further disrupt repression. He also said he was preparing to return to Iran and stand alongside protesters at what he described as a decisive moment.
International pressure builds
UN human rights chief Volker Türk said he was “deeply disturbed” by reports of violence and urged independent investigations and restoration of communications. The European Union condemned any excessive use of force and called for restraint, while France, Britain and Germany issued a joint statement urging Iranian authorities to protect peaceful assembly.
US President Donald Trump warned Iran against killing protesters and said Washington was watching closely, while the State Department cautioned Tehran not to test US resolve.
Several airlines, including Flydubai and Turkish Airlines, cancelled flights to Iran as unrest intensified, underscoring the widening international impact of a crisis entering its second week.
