Day Seven of Iran’s Uprising: Death Toll Rises, Regime Panics as Orders to Silence Pro–Reza Pahlavi Slogans

As the streets of Iran run red with the blood of a people fighting for freedom, Democrats and leftists in the West march loudly for the bloody dictator Nicolás Maduro—while remaining almost entirely silent on Iran. Day seven of the uprising marked the largest and deadliest phase yet, with protests spreading to up to 90 cities, women and Gen Z students at the forefront, and between 10 and 17 protesters reportedly killed after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered “rioters” crushed. Live fire intensified, arrests likely soared well beyond 1,000, and protesters escalated by burning regime symbols and chanting for Reza Pahlavi, whose leadership is increasingly embraced. Chants now even invoke Donald Trump, as Iranians draw direct parallels between Maduro’s arrest and their own oppressors’ impunity. Yet even as expectations of outside action grow, outrage has erupted over reports that Voice of America, under supervisor Ali Javanmardi, is censoring pro-Pahlavi slogans—fueling the bitter sense that while Iranians die demanding freedom, Western institutions and activists are either silent, complicit, or marching for tyrants elsewhere.

BREAKING: Protests against the Islamic Republic are engulfing nearly every city in Iran. pic.twitter.com/2WldQ8rBTL

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) January 4, 2026

Today, on Jomhuri (Republic) Street in Tehran, people are shouting for the return of the Pahlavi monarchy. ))))
“This is the last battle, Pahlavi will return”. Iran. #KingdomWithPahlavi pic.twitter.com/CVhQCQbem9

— جانم فدای ایران (@Kingdom0fIran) January 4, 2026

From Iran analyst Navid Mohebbi:

It is 7:00 a.m. in Tehran on January 4. Below is my second update, outlining 15 key developments from last night’s protests in Iran.

1⃣ Day seven marked the largest day of protests so far, both in terms of geographic spread and the number of participants.

2⃣Demonstrations were reported in at least 60 cities and towns, with some estimates placing the number as high as 90 locations nationwide.

3⃣Today was also the bloodiest day of the protests.

4⃣ While repression had already intensified over the past two days, the escalation became unmistakable after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s speech, in which he declared that “rioters must be put in their place.”

5⃣ Following those remarks, live fire and security crackdowns clearly increased. Available reports indicate that between 10 and 17 people were killed today.

6⃣ Instagram, Iran’s most widely used social media platform, is now flooded with images of slain young men and women, alongside waves of condolence messages from friends, relatives, and ordinary users.

7⃣ Women’s participation in the protests is noticeably higher than in the early days.

8⃣ A significant portion of the protesters are from Generation Z, including high school students.

9⃣On day seven, retaliatory actions by protesters became more prominent: attacks on security forces, overturning repression vehicles, stone-throwing, burning banners of Khamenei, and destroying statues and symbols associated with Qassem Soleimani.

Although diaspora media outlets publish confirmed arrest figures, when regime media reports, statements by local officials, field videos, and eyewitness accounts are taken together, the number of detainees is almost certainly well above 1,000—likely far higher. Many local incidents never make it into national or international reporting.

11. On social media—especially Instagram—a wave of creative, satirical, and openly critical videos has emerged, including content directly questioning why Mossad or Israel have not intervened. This reflects a growing sense of expectations of external action.

12. For the first time in Tehran, two video chants explicitly mentioned Donald Trump.

13. Developments surrounding Nicolas Maduro’s arrest gained traction online, with users explicitly drawing parallels and calling for a comparable response toward the Iranian regime.

14. At the same time, chants supporting Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi continue widely, and his leadership role appears increasingly consolidated among large segments of the protesters.

15. Following the appointment of Ali Javanmardi as Voice of America Persian’s senior supervisor last week—a figure known for his staunch opposition to Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, a history of gender-based insults against Pahlavi’s wife, and journalistic conspiracy narratives that have led to his boycott by much of the Persian-language diaspora media—reports indicate that Javanmardi reportedly made it clear to VOA staff to censor protest slogans in favor of Pahlavi such as “Javid Shah” and “This is the final battle—Pahlavi will return.”

This has triggered widespread public outrage against Voice of America, with many users expressing shock at the appointment and tagging Kari Lake and President Trump to demand their direct intervention.

Source: https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/day-seven-of-irans-uprising-death-toll-rises-regime-panics-as-orders-to-silence-pro-reza-pahlavi-slogans.html/