On Tuesday, January 5, 2026, corresponding to 15 Dey 1404 in the Iranian calendar, Reza Pahlavi released a message that quickly circulated across social media and Persian-language media outlets. The message, published both as a video and a written statement on his official accounts on platforms such as Instagram and X, called on people across Iran to participate in coordinated nationwide protests. Many observers considered it one of the first major attempts to organize a synchronized wave of demonstrations during the broader protest movements of 2025–2026. In his message, Pahlavi asked citizens to participate in a collective act of protest every evening at 8 p.m., encouraging people to chant protest slogans from their homes, rooftops, or in public spaces. According to him, the aim was to break the atmosphere of silence and demonstrate national unity in the face of government repression. He emphasized that even in conditions where internet access might be restricted and security forces were present in the streets, people could still make their voices heard from their homes. The message also encouraged various forms of civil resistance. These included workplace strikes, refusing to attend government offices, and turning private homes into centers of symbolic resistance. The broader goal, he said, was to show both the Iranian public and the international community the scale of dissatisfaction within the country. The slogans referenced in the call included nationalistic and anti-government chants that had previously appeared in earlier protests. The call quickly drew support from Iranian communities abroad. Demonstrations were organized in cities such as Los Angeles, London, and Toronto, where members of the Iranian diaspora gathered to express solidarity with protesters inside Iran. On social media, related hashtags and messages spread rapidly as activists and commentators amplified the call. Inside Iran, reports suggested that the message resonated with some segments of the population. Videos circulated showing nighttime chants in cities such as Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, and Sanandaj. In some areas, small gatherings also formed. However, due to communication restrictions and the limited ability of independent media to operate inside the country, the exact number of participants could not be independently verified. In the days following the call, the political atmosphere in Iran remained tense. Some reports indicated that authorities responded by tightening internet restrictions and increasing the presence of security forces in major cities. Supporters of the call argued that it helped spark a new wave of protest activity and renewed public attention to political demands. Overall, Reza Pahlavi’s call on January 5, 2026 came to be viewed as a notable moment within the broader political developments of that period. It generated reactions not only inside Iran but also among the Iranian diaspora and international observers. Many analysts argue that its significance lay in its attempt to coordinate protest actions and to draw global attention to the social and political demands emerging from within Iranian society. For this reason, the event is often mentioned as one of the turning points in the protest dynamics of that year, shaping public discourse and political debate during a critical period in Iran’s recent history.
