{"id":341369,"date":"2026-01-09T09:16:49","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T08:16:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=341369"},"modified":"2026-01-09T20:59:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T19:59:03","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-january-9-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-january-9-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 January 9, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Hundreds
Protesters gathered in Shiraz\u2019s Sadra District, southern Iran, on January 8, 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h3>\n

UPDATE: 08:30 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n

The True Face of Iran\u2019s Protesters and the Human Cost of Their Courage<\/h3>\n

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As nationwide protests continue to spread across Iran, verified reports from the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) paint a clear and sobering picture \u2013 young women and girls are paying with their lives, once again at the forefront of resistance, and the human cost of repression keeps rising.<\/p>\n

The courage of these young people, both men and women, and their visibility on the streets not only reflect the intensity of the movement in the country, they also resonate with Iranians abroad. Their bravery has inspired the diaspora, uniting communities around the world in solidarity and resulting in international gatherings that echo their call for change.<\/p>\n

The message will be amplified globally at a major rally in Berlin, on 7 February 2026, where 10,000 members of the Iranian diaspora are expected to gather to join their voices with those risking everything at home. The rally will make a powerful statement to the world that Iranian people are united in demanding a democratic, secular, and republic Iran, free from both clerical dictatorship and the return of the monarchy (the dictator Shah).<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iranian Resistance Demonstrates in Brussels: \u201cThe Regime Has Failed\u201d<\/h3>\n

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Hundreds of supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) gathered in Schuman, just steps away from the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, to express solidarity with the nationwide mobilization that began on December 28 with a strike by merchants at Tehran\u2019s Grand Bazaar. Several current and former Members of the European Parliament, as well as members of the Belgian Parliament, also addressed the rally.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite extensive security plans designed to prevent protests, the regime has failed in all its calculations and now finds itself facing the dawn of a new phase of confrontation,\u201d said Shahin Gobadi, head of foreign affairs for the Resistance Council, at a press conference. He emphasized \u201cthe leading role\u201d of Generation Z youth \u201cagainst the repressive forces,\u201d as well as the role of \u201cthe Resistance Units and the People\u2019s Mojahedin in organizing the protests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iranian Regime Shuts Down the Internet as Protests Continue and Death Toll Mounts<\/h3>\n

\"breitbart<\/p>\n

According to the\u00a0NetBlocks<\/a>\u00a0traffic monitoring group, Internet traffic in Iran\u00a0fell<\/a>\u00a0to nearly zero on Thursday night, shortly before a round of mass demonstrations was scheduled to begin. NetBlocks saw the blackout as \u201can attempt to suppress sweeping protests while covering up reports of regime brutality.\u201d<\/p>\n

The nationwide blackout was\u00a0presaged<\/a>\u00a0by dramatic losses of connectivity in the capital of Tehran and other cities, a detail confirmed by Ali Safavi of the\u00a0National Council of Resistance of Iran<\/a>\u00a0(NCRI).<\/p>\n

\u201cAround 1 p.m. local time, the Internet traffic dropped,\u201d Safavi\u00a0told<\/a>\u00a0Fox News Digital. \u201cThe internet was cut off in Lordegan, Chaharmahal, and Bakhtiari provinces as battles erupted.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NCRI\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0at least seven people were killed in those cities on Wednesday by \u201cdirect fire from the criminal Revolutionary Guards and the suppressive forces loyal to the regime\u2019s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 07:00 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iranian Opposition Demonstrates at Schuman Square: \u201cThe Ayatollahs\u2019 Regime Is Doomed to Fall\u201d<\/h3>\n

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On Friday, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) demonstrated at Schuman Square in Brussels against the regime in Iran. According to the Iranian opposition, the protests in Iran are evolving into a genuine revolution against those currently in power. \u201cThe European Union must recognize the democratic forces in the country,\u201d said Shahin Gobadi, spokesperson for the Iranian opposition in Belgium.<\/p>\n

During the demonstration, around one hundred participants gathered at Schuman Square, right next to the European institutions. \u201cThe Iranian people show every single day that they are not afraid of the regime. But the international community remains silent \u2014 it must recognize and support the Iranian people,\u201d Gobadi said.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 05:00 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tehran’s Trojan Horse<\/h3>\n

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When protesters flood Iran’s streets demanding freedom, who benefits from convincing the world they’re chanting for a new Shah? As a fourth major uprising erupts across the country, a familiar deception is underway\u2014one where the clerical regime and its supposed nemesis, Reza Pahlavi, share a common interest: erasing the democratic alternative from the narrative.<\/p>\n

Protests began last weekend when shopkeepers and bazaar merchants launched an impromptu strike against an economic crisis that pushed inflation above 42 percent. Within days, demonstrations spread to universities and dozens of cities, with protesters explicitly calling for regime change.<\/p>\n

We’ve seen this before. Just over three years ago, the killing of Mahsa Amini by morality police sparked what many called the greatest challenge to the Islamic Republic since 1979. That uprising, like those in January 2018 and November 2019, featured one unmistakable slogan: “Death to the dictator, whether Shah or Supreme Leader.”<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 09:00 AM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iran’s Theocracy Enters Its Last Days<\/h3>\n

\"townhall-logo\"<\/p>\n

History rarely announces itself politely. It arrives in convulsions, in defiance, in moments when fear finally changes sides. Iran is now at such a moment. After 47 years of clerical dictatorship, corruption, executions, and economic ruin, the Islamic Republic is hurtling toward an irreversible end. Both Iranian society and the ruling regime are racing, at unprecedented speed, toward a new reality, one that the mullahs can neither control nor survive.<\/p>\n

The nationwide uprising that erupted in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar in the final days of 2025 has exposed the regime’s fatal weakness. What began as a merchants’ strike against price hikes and collapsing purchasing power has become a political revolt spanning more than 145 cities across 28 of Iran’s 31 provinces. The chants heard on Iran’s streets are not calls for reform or relief. They are demands for regime change:\u00a0“Death to the dictator,” “Neither Shah nor Supreme Leader,”<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0“This is the year of blood \u2013 Khamenei will be overthrown.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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A Cornered Supreme Leader and the Collapse of Fear in Iran<\/h3>\n

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Iran regime\u2019s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, appeared once again before a carefully selected audience of battered Basij loyalists, attempting\u2014like so many times before\u2014to bury an undeniable reality under hollow rhetoric: the depth of national hatred toward the theocratic dictatorship ruling Iran.<\/p>\n

Trapped in the rising fury of an exhausted and enraged society, Khamenei unsheathed the familiar sword of repression against unarmed protesters. In his latest remarks, he declared:\u00a0\u201cProtest is different from riot. Talking to a rioter is useless; a rioter must be put in their place.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0These words, spoken by an unrestrained dictator whose sole objective is the preservation of power at any cost, are not a display of strength. They are an admission of fear\u2014fear rooted in the scale, persistence, and radicalization of the nationwide uprising.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Political Prisoner\u2019s Letter from Qezel Hesar Prison: \u201cNo Voice Can Whitewash This Level of Brutality\u201d<\/h3>\n

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In a powerful letter smuggled out of Qezel Hesar Prison, political prisoner Meisam Dehban-Zadeh draws a direct line between Iran\u2019s past and present dictatorships, invoking the legacy of legendary wrestler Gholamreza Takhti to expose what he describes as the unbroken cycle of repression\u2014from the Shah\u2019s SAVAK to today\u2019s clerical regime.\u00a0Writing on the anniversary commemorating Takhti, Dehban-Zadeh emphasizes that the murder of popular heroes has never silenced society. Instead, he recalls how state violence historically ignited resistance and ultimately sealed the fate of tyrannical rule.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe crimes of SAVAK and the martyrdom of popular heroes did not create silence and submission,\u201d he writes. \u201cThey created a storm and an uprising, and consigned the monarchy to the graveyard of history forever.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iran\u2019s Regime Imposes Widespread Internet Outages and Disruptions Amid Nationwide Uprising<\/h3>\n

As the widespread uprising of people in Iran continues and intensifies, reports indicate that the internet in many cities has faced severe slowdowns, disruptions, and in some cases complete outages.<\/p>\n

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\u26a0\ufe0f Update: Live network data show #Tehran<\/a> and other parts of Iran are now entering a digital blackout, as connectivity falls on multiple providers; the new incident follows regional shutdowns, and is likely to severely limit coverage of events on the ground as protests spread \ud83d\udcc9 pic.twitter.com\/cVZE311VNY<\/a><\/p>\n

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) January 8, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n