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Live report: Day 7 of Iran Uprising: Malekshahi massacre leaves several dead; People defy Khamenei’s threats with nightly protests

By Mahmoud Hakamian
Protests in Sabzevar, Iran uprising
Protests in Sabzevar, Iran uprising

Live report | Saturday, January 3, 2026

The nationwide uprising in Iran against the religious dictatorship entered its seventh consecutive day on Saturday, January 3, 2026. Despite the regime’s attempts to use a four-day holiday to quell the unrest, the protests have only intensified, spreading from Tehran to cities and provinces across the country.

Following a volatile sixth day, where funerals of martyrs in Lorestan turned into mass demonstrations, the unrest continued well into Friday night and early Saturday. The regime’s suppressive forces, including the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and plainclothes agents, have resorted to live ammunition and tear gas. However, reports from across Iran indicate that the youth are pushing back, establishing roadblocks, setting fire to regime vehicles, and chanting slogans that target the entirety of the theocratic establishment, specifically Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Day 7 Roundup: Bloodbath in Ilam, Khamenei threatens protesters, and nation answers with defiant nightly rallies

On Saturday, January 3, 2026, the seventh day of the nationwide uprising, the conflict between the Iranian people and the religious dictatorship reached a critical turning point. While the regime carried out a massacre in the western city of Malekshahi, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei broke his silence to threaten the protesters. However, his intimidation tactics failed; as night fell, the uprising intensified, with brave Iranians in Tehran, Mashhad, and other major cities returning to the streets to chant “Death to the dictator.”

Key highlights from today:

  • Massacre in Malekshahi: The city of Malekshahi in Ilam Province witnessed a bloodbath. Regime forces opened direct fire on a massive rally of youth. Local sources report up to 11 martyrs and over 30 protesters in critical condition. The city is currently under a heavy military siege by anti-riot units to prevent further unrest.
  • Khamenei Threats & Resistance Response: Visibly terrified, Ali Khamenei appeared publicly to label the protesters as “rioters” and “enemies,” stating they “must be put in their place.” Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the NCRI, responded, stating, “Khamenei is right; 80 million Iranians are his enemy… A nation who has taken to the streets will not stand down until democracy is achieved.”
  • Tehran Defies Lockdown: Despite martial law-like security measures, the people of Tehran broke the barrier of fear tonight. Large crowds gathered at Haft Howz and Naziabad, chanting “Down with the dictator” and engaging in standoffs with security forces.
  • Mashhad’s Radical Slogans: In Mashhad, a large rally on Rahnamayi Street saw protesters chanting, “This nation will not be a nation until the mullahs are buried,” directly challenging the regime’s existence.
  • Clashes in Hamedan and Shiraz: In Hamedan, protesters on Taleghani Street stood their ground against tear gas attacks. In Shiraz, students defied security forces with chants of “Disgrace!”, while youth in the Golshan district blocked roads with burning tires.
  • Shooting in Kazerun: Earlier in the day, the uprising engulfed Fars province, with security forces opening fire on a massive crowd at Kazerun’s Shohada Square.
  • Nationwide Scope: Nightly protests have also been reported in Yazd, Ilam, Kermanshah (Jafarabad), and Vahdatiyeh (Bushehr), proving the uprising is expanding despite the regime’s utmost brutality.

Update—19:30 CET

Nationwide Defiance: People return to streets, ignoring Khamenei’s threats and martial law-like crackdown

As night falls on the seventh day of the uprising, the Iranian people have delivered a resounding “No” to Ali Khamenei. Hours after the regime’s Supreme Leader threatened protesters and labeled them “rioters,” brave Iranians in Tehran, Mashhad, and cities across the country returned to the streets, defying extreme security measures and the threat of lethal force.

Tehran: Protesters retake the streets

Despite the regime placing the capital under a virtual lockdown to prevent assemblies, the people have broken the barrier of fear.

  • Haft Howz: Large crowds have gathered at Haft Howz, the site of intense clashes just 24 hours prior. Defying the heavy presence of suppressive forces, the crowd continues to grow, chanting “Down with the dictator.”
  • Naziabad: Residents of this key district have returned to the streets, resuming their anti-regime protests in the face of extreme security measures.

Mashhad: “Until the mullahs are buried!”

In Mashhad, northeast Iran, a large protest rally formed on Rahnamayi Street. Demonstrators braved great odds to gather, chanting one of the most radical slogans of the night: “This nation will not be a nation until the mullahs are buried!” and “Down with the dictator!”

Western Iran: Tear gas and resistance

  • Hamedan: Security forces launched tear gas attacks to disperse crowds at Taleghani Street. However, demonstrators stood their ground and continued their nightly protest, chanting “Down with the dictator.”
  • Ilam: Directly challenging the Supreme Leader’s speech, people held a nightly rally chanting “Down with Khamenei!”
  • Malekshahi: Following the earlier massacre where regime agents killed and wounded civilians, the regime has deployed a massive contingent of anti-riot forces to the city to prevent further uprisings, effectively turning the city into a military camp.
  • Kermanshah: Residents of the Jafarabad district held rallies calling on their fellow citizens to join the movement.

Nationwide Scope: From Shiraz to Bushehr

  • Shiraz: Students held a rally, defying security forces dispatched to disperse them. They chanted “Disgrace! Disgrace!” at the regime’s armed agents.
  • Yazd: People in central Iran returned to the streets for the seventh consecutive night.
  • Vahdatiyeh (Bushehr): In southern Iran, residents rallied with chants of “Down with the dictator.”

Maryam Rajavi: “Khamenei is right; 80 million Iranians are his enemy”

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), responded to Ali Khamenei’s televised threats against the protesters.
“Khamenei is right; 80 million Iranians are his enemy, and their mission is to disrupt the velayat-e faqih regime,” Mrs. Rajavi stated. She emphasized that the people have only one message for the Supreme Leader: “Pack up his rule and remove his scourge from the Iranian people.”
Mrs. Rajavi affirmed that threats and repression will fail to stop the movement: “A nation who has taken to the streets will not stand down until democracy and popular sovereignty are achieved.”

Update—17:00 CET

Bloodshed in Malekshahi: Regime opens fire on protesters, reports of double-digit casualties

As the seventh day of the uprising unfolds, the situation in western Iran has turned deadly. In Malekshahi, Ilam Province, security forces have resorted to lethal force to suppress a massive demonstration by the city’s youth.

According to local reports and footage from the scene, regime forces opened direct fire on the crowds chanting “Down with Khamenei” and “Down with the dictator.” The crackdown has resulted in a significant number of casualties.

  • Casualties: While official confirmations are pending, local sources report that the death toll has risen to 11.
  • Critical Condition: At least 30 protesters are reported to be in critical condition.
  • Medical Crisis: The Khomeini Hospital in Malekshahi is reportedly overflowing with the wounded. There is an urgent appeal for blood donations, specifically O-negative type. The Ilam emergency services have deployed nearly 200 motorcycle medics to the area, indicating the scale of the violence.
  • Public Rage: Despite the slaughter, the people have not retreated, with reports stating that residents have sworn revenge against the suppressive forces.

Khamenei breaks silence, threatens “Rioters”
After a week of silence while the country burned, the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appeared today to address the uprising on the anniversary of Qasem Soleimani’s death. Visibly terrified by the expansion of the protests, Khamenei attempted to divide the movement by labeling the brave youth as foreign agents.

“Protest is different from rioting,” Khamenei said. “We talk to the protester… but talking to the rioter is useless; the rioter must be put in their place.”
He added, “It is absolutely unacceptable for a group to create riots with the intention of making the country insecure. The enemy’s work must be recognized; the enemy will not rest.”

Kazerun and Shiraz: Shooting and Resistance

  • Kazerun: On Saturday afternoon, the people of Kazerun (Fars Province) flooded Shohada Square. Reports confirm that suppressive forces opened fire on the demonstrators to prevent the gathering from growing.
  • Shiraz: In the Golshan neighborhood, rebellious youth seized control of the streets. They sat in the middle of the road and set tires on fire, effectively blocking the path of regime units dispatched to suppress the protests.

University Students Join the Cry for Freedom
Students continue to act as the beating heart of the uprising.

  • Shahrud University of Technology: Students chanted, “Students will die but not accept humiliation.”
  • Allameh University (Tehran): At the Hemmat dormitory, students echoed the nationwide demand: “Death to the dictator.”

Update 11:00 CET

  • Kazerun Joins the Uprising: The city of Kazerun in Fars province has joined the nationwide movement. Footage from Shohada Square shows a massive presence of protesters.
  • Tehran Battlegrounds: The capital saw intense hit-and-run clashes in districts such as Naziabad, Narmak, Tehranpars, Sadeghiyeh, Kashani Street, and Khaksefid. In Naziabad, defiant youth seized control of the streets, burning motorcycles and vehicles belonging to suppressive forces while chanting “Death to Khamenei.” In Tehranpars and Khaksefid, protesters erected barricades and lit fires to block the movement of security units, engaging in skirmishes with agents firing tear gas.
  • Urban Warfare in Qom: In a significant blow to the regime’s base, Qom remained a flashpoint. Clashes raged on Towhid, Malek Ashtar, and Niroogah streets. Protesters set fire to a security vehicle and chanted, “This is the year of blood, Seyyed Ali [Khamenei] will be overthrown.”
  • Live Fire in Lorestan: The province of Lorestan witnessed heavy confrontation. In Khorramabad’s Enghelab Street, regime forces opened fire on defenseless civilians. Severe clashes were also reported in Borujerd, Aligudarz (Kazemabad district), and Kuhdasht (22 Bahman Square). In Aligudarz, locals clashed with Special Units at Lotfi Intersection.
  • Armed Clashes in Ilam: In Sarableh, Ilam province, regime forces attacked a group of youth, leading to an armed confrontation.
  • Unrest in the West and Southwest:
    • Kermanshah: Gunfire was heard late into the night as people demonstrated. In Harsin, youth blocked roads with burning tires.
    • Yasuj & Likak: In Yasuj, citizens rallied with the chant “This is the year of blood, Seyyed Ali is overthrown.” In Likak (Bahmai), security forces used tear gas and live fire, injuring several demonstrators.
    • Arak: The city took on a war-like atmosphere as youth utilized hit-and-run tactics to exhaust and confuse the regime’s forces across several main streets.
    • Shiraz: Protesters blocked the road in the Sanaye district and clashed with tear-gas-wielding agents in Maaliabad while chanting “Death to the dictator.”

Political Prisoners: “Bury the dictatorship of the mullahs and the Shah”

As the uprising spreads, political prisoners from the regime’s most notorious dungeons have issued messages of solidarity, framing the current movement as a final push for a democratic republic.

Asadollah Hadi (Ghezel Hesar Prison):
In a moving letter, political prisoner Asadollah Hadi, a supporter of the PMOI, addressed the striking bazaaris and the youth. He saluted the “bankrupt guilds,” workers, and students who have risen up after “47 years of ruin” under the mullahs.
Hadi wrote: “Blessed be your fervor… You who have shouted your decisive demarcation with the Mullahs and the Shah with the slogans ‘Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the Leader’ are moving to draw a new design for a democratic Iran.”

https://twitter.com/en_simayazadi/status/2007205403697037455

Shahin Zoghi-Tabar (Evin Prison):
Writing from Evin Prison, Shahin Zoghi-Tabar addressed the “heroic people of Iran,” describing the fight against dictatorship as the “pinnacle of freedom.” He characterized the regime not as a republic or Islamic, but as “religious fascism that only understands the language of force, weapons, and fire.”

Referencing the elimination of Qassem Soleimani (the regime’s top terrorist), he urged the rebellious youth to disarm the regime’s agents. “Every weapon you take from the mercenaries is one weapon added to the people’s front,” he wrote. He concluded with a call to capture the regime’s centers of suppression and liberate Iranian cities one by one.

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