CloseReza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, said he was certain that the collapse of the Islamic Republic was inevitable and that he was “uniquely” placed to lead the country after the unrest.
The US-based opposition leader called on the world to join Iranian protesters to hasten the process of the collapse of Khamenei’s regime and “prevent more loss of life".
He said the foreign government did not require “boots on the ground” but only “targeted intervention”.
It came as the European Union has urged civilian airlines to avoid Iranian airspace due to the “high risk” of a flight being misidentified as a US attack.
The threat of US military action has left Iranian air defence on a heightened state of alert, meaning the possibility of wrongful identification has grown, the EU’s aviation regulator (EASA) said.
The protests, which have largely died down, saw more than 2,400 demonstrators killed by regime forces.
Trump has struck a conciliatory note and thanked Iran’s leader for not executing detained protesters, in a sign he may be backing away from a military strike.
Recommended
How Iran’s internet blackout is quietly affecting your social media feed | Debunked
Son raises concerns for British parents detained in Iran amid deadly protests
Reprieve for Iranian protester Erfan Soltani facing execution
Trump ‘ready to push the button’ on airstrikes in Iran as US personnel evacuate military base
Iran journalist breaks down in tears as she reads out names of those killed in protests
Alex Croft17 January 2026 06:02
Family forced to smuggle body of fashion student for burial after being refused by authorities
The family of a 23-year-old protester were forced to smuggle her body out of the morgue after she was shot dead by security forces at a protest.
Robina Aminian, a fashion student, joined a demonstration on 8 January and died after being shot in the head.
Her family were forced to smuggle her body out of the building for a burial after authorities refused permission.
“Amene [Aminian’s mother], who is one of the bravest members of our family, wailed loudly, but was determined to bring her baby home,” her relative Hali Norei told The Guardian.
“She picked her up in her arms and was forced to steal her own child’s body; she drove back home with her on her lap.”
Alex Croft17 January 2026 05:00
Authorities demanding money in return for protesters' bodies, says BBC
Families of dead protesters are being forced to fork out large sums of money in return for the bodies of their loved ones, multiple sources told BBC Persia.
At least 2,435 people have been killed in a fortnight of protests across the country.
One person said security forces demanded 700 million tomans ($5,000 or £3,700) to release the body of their loved one, being held at Poursina Hospital.
A family in Tehran said they were asked to pay a billion tomans ($7,000 or £5,200) for their loved one, a Kurdish seasonal construction worker.
They were unable to afford the cost with construction workers earning around $100 a month, according to the report.
Alex Croft17 January 2026 04:00
Iran protests largely suppressed
Large-scale protests in Iran appear to have been suppressed in many cities and towns following a deadly crackdown and a heavy police presence.
A tense calm has returned as a senior hard-line cleric called for the death penalty for detained protesters and issued direct threats against US president Donald Trump.
The New York Times and the Associated Press reported that streets are mostly quiet after the use of force that has left several thousand people dead.
No large-scale protests have been documented in Iran since Sunday, according to Arina Moradi and Mina Khani of the Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which has been monitoring the demonstrations since they began.
A sermon by Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a senior Iranian cleric, broadcast on state radio, prompted chants from worshippers, including: “Armed hypocrites should be put to death".
Khatami, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts and Guardian Council known for his hard-line views, described the protesters as “butlers” of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “Trump’s soldiers”, adding that Netanyahu and Trump should expect “hard revenge from the system".
Shweta Sharma17 January 2026 03:36
Reza Pahlavi says he is ‘uniquely’ placed to head a successor government
Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s former pro-Western monarch, has said he is well placed to lead a successor government following the fall of the Khamenei administration.
“The Iranian people are taking decisive actions on the ground. It is now time for the international community to join them fully,” he said at a news conference in Washington.
“What they need from the world is resolute, targeted support to protect lives, amplify their voices and hasten the collapse that is already on the way,” he added.
“But let me be clear: with or without the world’s help, the regime will fall. It will fall sooner, and more lives will be saved if the world turns its words into action.”
Pahlavi said 12,000 protesters had been killed over a 48-hour period during a bloody security crackdown on nationwide demonstrations that began on 28 December, though human rights groups have reported lower – but still thousands – in fatalities.
“I am uniquely positioned to ensure a stable transition,” he said. “That’s the verdict delivered loudly and clearly by the people in the face of bullets.”
Shweta Sharma17 January 2026 03:30
Iran restores SMS services, state media says
Iranian state media reported that SMS services have been restored for mobile phone operators across the country.
The internet has been shut down in Iran since 8 January, after the Islamic Republic imposed a digital blackout as authorities launched a crackdown on protesters.
On Saturday, Iran International reported that authorities had allowed the sending and receiving of SMS messages.
Shweta Sharma17 January 2026 03:02
What is happening in Iran? Internet blackout continues after widespread anti-regime protests
Donald Trump continues to threaten the use of military action in Iran after a deadly crackdown on protests appeared to have quelled threats to the regime.
At least 2,637 have been reported killed, according to the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency and around 20,000 have been arrested.
Some experts suggest that the numbers are a gross underestimate and that up to 12,000 to 20,000 people could have been killed in the repression, according to CBS. The death toll includes at least 135 security personnel.
Buildings, buses and shops were burned to the ground, turning Iran’s capital Tehran into a “war zone” as protests broke out nationwide a fortnight ago.
Our foreign reporters Maira Butt and James Reynolds report:
What is happening in Iran? Internet blackout continues after anti-regime protests
Donald Trump continues to threaten Iran’s Islamic regime with military actionAlex Croft17 January 2026 03:00
Exiled Iranian Crown Prince decries ‘mass crimes’ of Islamic Republic to Washington crowd
Alex Croft17 January 2026 02:01
New Zealand diplomatic staff leaves Iran
New Zealand has "temporarily" closed its embassy in Tehran, Iran, and moved consular operations to Ankara, Turkey, officials in Wellington said on Friday.
All New Zealand diplomatic staff left Iran on commercial flights during the past day, New Zealand's foreign ministry said in a statement.
The move followed remarks on Thursday by foreign minister Winston Peters, who said his government was "appalled by the escalation of violence and repression" in Iran.
"We condemn the brutal crackdown being carried out by Iran's security forces, including the killing of protesters," Peters posted on X.
The foreign ministry repeated official advice Friday that New Zealanders should avoid travel to Iran and "leave now" if they were already there.
They said the ability of New Zealand's government to provide consular help to the country's citizens in Iran was "extremely limited”.
Alex Croft17 January 2026 00:01
US accuses South Africa of 'cosying up' to Iran
The US has accused South Africa’s defence ministry of “cosying up” to Iran after Iranian warships conducted naval exercises in the country’s waters.
“South Africa can't lecture the world on 'justice' while cozying up to Iran,” the US said in a statement on Friday.
In response, South Africa’s defence ministry said it was launching an inquiry to investigate the “serious allegations”.
