Iranian protester renames Tehran street after Trump as unrest spreads amid crackdown
Protesters and police clashing in Tehran on Jan. 6, 2026. UGC/AFP via Getty Images
Iranian protesters escalated nationwide demonstrations over the past 24 hours, directly appealing to President Donald Trump while chanting slogans against the regime. Video footage released Wednesday showed a protester in Tehran symbolically renaming a street after Trump, while other clips captured handwritten signs reading, “Don’t let them kill us,” according to Iran International.
Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, shared the footage on X, writing, “Since Trump’s comments about the Iran protests, I’ve seen numerous videos of Iranian protesters either thanking him or, in this case, renaming streets after the US president.”
Since Trump’s comments about the Iran protests, I’ve seen numerous videos of Iranian protesters either thanking him or, in this case, renaming streets after the US president. pic.twitter.com/aWsQV5N8fQ
— Holly Dagres (@hdagres) January 7, 2026
The demonstrations continued amid a growing security crackdown, including the deployment of armed forces and tear gas near key civilian sites in Tehran.
Exiled Iranian opposition leader Reza Pahlavi described the unrest as a historic opportunity to end Iran’s Islamic Republic.
“In all these years, I’ve never seen an opportunity like the one we see today in Iran,” Pahlavi said in a Tuesday interview on “Hannity.” “The Iranian people are more determined than ever to bring an end to this regime. As the world has witnessed, the scale of the protests in the past few days is unprecedented.”
Pahlavi said demonstrations have spread to over 100 cities and highlighted the role of Iran’s traditional merchant class, noting that activity in the country’s bazaars marks a turning point. “We are seeing more defections every day,” he said, adding, “The regime is crumbling and is very close to collapsing.”
Over the past 24 hours, Iran International reported continued protests and strikes in Tehran, Tabriz, Qazvin, Kermanshah, Kerman, Shiraz, Falavarjan, and Bandar Abbas. Tehran’s Grand Bazaar remained a central site of unrest, with crowds chanting against Iran’s leadership as authorities responded with tear gas and armed deployments.
Security measures expanded to sensitive civilian areas. Videos from Iran International showed tear gas used near or inside Tehran’s Sina Hospital and the Plasco Shopping Center.
Casualty and arrest numbers continued to climb. The Human Rights Activists News Agency, cited by Iran International, reported at least 36 people killed since the protests began—including 34 protesters and two members of Iran’s security forces—and more than 2,000 arrests nationwide. Iranian authorities have not released updated official figures.
New footage showed demonstrators in Shiraz lighting fires and chanting “Death to Khamenei,” referring to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In Qazvin, protesters were heard shouting, “Law enforcement, return to the side of the nation.”
Workers have also joined the unrest, with strikes reported at the South Pars gas refinery and widespread shop closures in major markets in Tehran and Tabriz.
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