A surge of defiant protests swept across Iran in recent days, laying bare the profound chasm between the ruling regime and the populace. From direct confrontations with regime officials to widespread demonstrations against economic ruin and systematic human rights abuses, Iranians are increasingly vocalizing their rejection of the clerical establishment. The regime’s consistent response—brute force and repression—further underscores its dwindling legitimacy and deep-seated fear of popular dissent.
Political Rejection Echoes in Ilam
On June 11, 2025, during a visit by the regime’s President Masoud Pezeshkian to Ilam province, the youth met his presence with open hostility. Young protestors in Ilam took to the streets, holding handwritten placards to send their message.
Their slogans were unequivocal: “Pezeshkian, get lost from Ilam,” and “Ilam is a place for brave people, not for mercenaries of the mullahs’ regime.” The chants escalated to direct condemnations of the regime’s highest authority, with calls of “Death to Khamenei – Long live PMOI,” and “President of mullahs, supporter of every crime – get lost from Ilam!” Graffiti echoing these sentiments, such as “Pezeshkian get lost, Ilam is not your place,” appeared on city walls, reflecting the deep-seated public resentment.
Economic Despair and Environmental Ruin Fuel Uprisings
The regime’s disastrous economic policies and blatant disregard for citizens’ livelihoods and the environment have become major flashpoints for protest. On June 10, 2025, in Shiraz, southern Iran, farmers from the Kamfiruz North region gathered in front of the Fars provincial governor’s office. They protested the mismanagement in the fair distribution of agricultural water, demanding their long-standing legal water rights, which they claim have been jeopardized by years of poor governance, exacerbating the already severe water crisis in the agricultural heartland.
June 10—Shiraz, southern Iran
Farmers from Kamfiruz Shomali rally outside the Fars Province governor's office, demanding their legal and historical water rights.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/y9lyWdfCBJ— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 10, 2025
The same day, in the village of Dehkahan, near Kahnuj in Kerman province, southeast Iran, a peaceful assembly of residents protesting the devastating environmental impact of a local chromium mine was met with savage violence. Special Guard units attacked the unarmed villagers with batons and tear gas.
The mine, reportedly benefiting regime-affiliated individuals, has long been a source of ruin for the local community. The local Member of Parliament, Mansour Shokrollahi, only offered a futile verbal warning and effectively sided with the mine operators, exposing the regime’s complicity in the people’s suffering.
Further north, in Masal, on June 10, 2025, the livelihoods of over 200 families were abruptly destroyed when authorities demolished their kiosks in the Bam Sabz area. This occurred despite a prior agreement by a working group, including the head of the provincial General Inspection Organization, to issue codes and licenses for these businesses. The sudden destruction, carried out by repressive state security forces without warning, sparked widespread shock and protest, with many saying, “Instead of organizing, they erased the problem.”
Masal, northern Iran
Approx 200 families lost their livelihoods due to the unexpected demolition of market stalls in the Bam-e-Sabz area by security forces without prior warning or alternative solutions from local authorities.pic.twitter.com/yFSDQ4YwMd— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 10, 2025
Systematic Repression and Human Rights Defied
The regime’s reliance on brutal repression extends to ethnic minorities and political opponents. In the port of Korgan, near Minab, regime forces conducted raids on June 10, 2025, and previously on May 29, 2025. Deploying dozens of military vehicles, cranes, and bulldozers, they demolished walls of homes, destroyed houses under construction, and set fire to the belongings of Baluch citizens under the pretext of “combating fuel smuggling.” These aggressive actions, which created an atmosphere of “terror and fear,” were met with resistance from the local residents.
The regime’s cruelty was further highlighted in Andimeshk, where on June 10, 2025, citizens participated in the funeral of Saman Mirdoraghi. According to reports from the Iranian Resistance, Mirdoraghi was tortured to death by intelligence agents on June 8, 2025.
Meanwhile, the “Tuesdays Against Executions” campaign marked its 72nd week on June 10, 2025, with defiant gatherings across numerous cities. In Tehran, the parents of PMOI-affiliated political prisoners Shahrokh Daneshvar Kar and Vahid Bani Amerian held pictures of their sons, demanding the abolition of all unjust execution sentences.
June 10—Tehran, Iran
The family of political prisoner Shahrokh Daneshvarkar protest the death sentence issued for their loved one.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/b7y41CoPCw— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 11, 2025
This movement, coinciding with prisoner strikes in 47 prisons, saw rebellious youth in Tehran, Shahrud, Shahriar, Shiraz, Fasa, Kazerun, Gorgan, Kerman, Sowme’eh Sara, Karaj, Hamedan, Lahijan, Yasuj, and Kermanshah take to the streets. They displayed images of prisoners and slogans such as “Political prisoner must be freed,” “This is the last message, if you execute, there will be an uprising,” “Our response to execution is the red fire of uprising,” and “Resistant prisoner, PMOI are your supporters, the torch of your struggle.”
A Regime at Odds with its People
These events paint a stark picture of a regime increasingly isolated and reliant on violence to maintain its grip on power. The diversity of the protests—spanning political defiance, economic grievances, environmental concerns, and human rights demands—illustrates a nationwide disillusionment. the Iranian people are demonstrating an unwavering resolve. The regime’s uniform response of suppression, rather than addressing legitimate grievances, only serves to fuel further resistance and expose its fundamental illegitimacy on the national and international stage. The calls for change are growing louder, signaling a populace determined to reclaim its rights and future from an oppressive system.