On December 26, members of the PMOI Resistance Units in Zahedan, southeast Iran, organized activities to mark the anniversaries of two pivotal moments in the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom: the Ashura uprising of December 27, 2009, and the nationwide uprising of December 2017. Braving the regime’s suppression, these activists displayed placards and slogans vowing to continue the fight against tyranny until the establishment of a free Iran.
The Resistance Units in Zahedan described the December 2009 protests as a moment that “brought Iran’s regime to its knees.” Their messages emphasized that the only path forward is a “democratic revolution,” rejecting the regime’s attempts to frame the people’s legitimate resistance as criminal behavior. One placard defiantly read: “If the meaning of rioting and breaking structures is to rise up and resist for revolution and freedom, then yes we are all rioters and we will break the structure of the criminal mullahs’ regime.”
"Honoring December 27, anniversary of the 2009 Ashura uprising in Tehran with the slogan 'Death to the rule of the mullahs'" pic.twitter.com/ubZuQ1RR3T
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 27, 2025
The end of the “reformist” illusion
The activities in Zahedan also paid tribute to the December 2017 uprising, characterizing it as “the revolt of a chained nation to overthrow tyranny and end the illusion of reform from within the regime.”
The 2017 uprising, which began on December 28 (Dey 7) in Mashhad over economic grievances like the price of eggs, rapidly evolved into a political movement that spread across the country. Contrary to regime claims that it was a spontaneous event, the uprising was the result of “accumulated dissatisfaction” over four decades of suppression. According to the regime’s own officials, the protests spread to 160 cities, creating a “dangerous situation” for the regime.
It was during this uprising that the defining slogan, “Reformist, hardliner, the game is over,” became the chant of the nation, signaling a complete break with all factions of the theocracy. The regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, later admitted that the PMOI was the “third vertex” of a triangle that had organized and planned the protests for months, acknowledging the opposition’s leadership role in the unrest.
"Anyone who thinks that Iran's new revolution will be hijacked by colonialists and reactionaries as in the Constitutional Revolution and the Anti-Monarchic Revolution is badly mistaken" pic.twitter.com/G6aBTuptAU
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 27, 2025
Targeting the pillar of the dictatorship
The Resistance Units also commemorated the 2009 Ashura uprising, a turning point where the people’s anger over a sham election transformed into a direct challenge to the entire rule of the mullahs. Slogans such as “Death to the dictator” and “Death to Khamenei” echoed through the streets, proving that the people wanted nothing less than regime change.
Regime officials have long acknowledged the role of the PMOI in radicalizing these protests. Ahmad Alamolhoda, the supreme leader’s representative in Mashhad, stated that the PMOI were the “commanders” of the Ashura uprising, noting that protesters were chanting slogans popularized by the Resistance. The brave youth of Iran proved on that day that they were no longer afraid, turning the regime’s holy days into occasions to confront religious tyranny.
"Iran's regime will not let go of repression, terrorism, and warmongering until it is overthrown" pic.twitter.com/0ysLlkAURj
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 27, 2025
No to Shah, no to mullahs
A central theme of the recent activities in Zahedan was a firm rejection of all forms of dictatorship. The Resistance Units displayed slogans stating, “The people of Iran reject any form of dictatorship and say ‘no to shah no to mullahs’.” They warned that the Iranian people are vigilant against any attempts to hijack their revolution, stating, “Anyone who thinks that Iran’s new revolution will be hijacked by colonialists and reactionaries as in the Constitutional Revolution and the Anti-Monarchic Revolution is badly mistaken.”
Reaffirming the Iranian Resistance’s commitment to a democratic republic, the placards emphasized that “No to shah no to mullahs” is the “true meaning of freedom and independence” and the definitive demarcation with dictatorship.
"The Iranian Resistance desires a democratic republic" pic.twitter.com/aLU0FaiaXF
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 27, 2025
The Resistance Units in Zahedan concluded their activities with a message of resolve, declaring that “repression results not in the spread of fear but the expansion of resistance.” They vowed that the mullahs’ regime, which relies on terrorism and warmongering to survive, “will only be overthrown through the struggle and will of the Iranian people.”