Iran Protests Enter Sixth Week

An effigy of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei hangs on a bridge over a highway in Tehran, Iran (Twitter)
An effigy of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei hangs on a bridge over a highway in Tehran, Iran (Twitter)
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Iran Protests Enter Sixth Week

An effigy of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei hangs on a bridge over a highway in Tehran, Iran (Twitter)
An effigy of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei hangs on a bridge over a highway in Tehran, Iran (Twitter)

Nationwide anti-regime protests in Iran have entered their sixth week, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei becoming the primary target of public outrage sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.

Iranian officials have shown division in their approach to the riots as some have called for strict measures against protesters while others have urged action to restore societal calm.

Meanwhile, human rights organizations have voiced their growing fears about Iranian activists facing the threat of torture and even death behind bars.

Shared video footage of late-night protests showed demonstrators taking to the streets in major cities such as Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Rasht, in addition to some Kurdish cities in northwestern Iran, such as Mahabad.

‘1500 Tasvir,’ an opposition Twitter account, posted videos of protests sweeping Isfahan in central Iran. In another video, protesters were seen setting fires in the streets of Mahabad late Thursday.

Demonstrators in different cities also hanged effigies of Khamenei, raised anti-establishment slogans, and sprayed graffiti depicting the victims of the security crackdown on the protests.

Reports from Iran also indicate that despite widespread arrests among striking workers in the oil and gas industry and young protesters on streets, the uprising in Iran shows no sign of abating.

On Thursday, the Union of Truck Drivers announced that in support of the protests they began a strike Friday and will stop transportation activities.

The Organizing Council of Oil Contract Workers in Iran says that more than 250 contractors have been arrested so far during labor strikes in recent days.

Last Tuesday, workers of Iran’s largest sugar company in Ahwaz joined the strikes.

The latest wave of dissent was sparked by the death of Amini while in police custody for allegedly wearing a hijab improperly. Authorities have met demonstrators with lethal force on city streets throughout the country.



Russia Slams Report it Backed 'Zero Enrichment' Iran Nuclear Deal

A handout photo made available by the Iranian foreign ministry office shows, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi (R) speaks during a meeting with foreign ambassadors and diplomats to Tehran, in Tehran, Iran, 12 July 2025. EPA/HAMID FOROOTAN / IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY / HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by the Iranian foreign ministry office shows, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi (R) speaks during a meeting with foreign ambassadors and diplomats to Tehran, in Tehran, Iran, 12 July 2025. EPA/HAMID FOROOTAN / IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY / HANDOUT
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Russia Slams Report it Backed 'Zero Enrichment' Iran Nuclear Deal

A handout photo made available by the Iranian foreign ministry office shows, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi (R) speaks during a meeting with foreign ambassadors and diplomats to Tehran, in Tehran, Iran, 12 July 2025. EPA/HAMID FOROOTAN / IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY / HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by the Iranian foreign ministry office shows, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi (R) speaks during a meeting with foreign ambassadors and diplomats to Tehran, in Tehran, Iran, 12 July 2025. EPA/HAMID FOROOTAN / IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY / HANDOUT

Russia's foreign affairs ministry on Sunday described reports claiming that President Vladimir Putin had encouraged his Iranian ally to accept a "zero enrichment" agreement on its nuclear programme as "defamation".

US news outlet Axios reported on Saturday, citing three anonymous sources familiar with the matter, that Putin had "encouraged" Iran to accept a deal with the United States that would prevent the Islamic republic from enriching uranium.

The article "appears to be a new political defamation campaign aimed at exacerbating tensions around Iran's nuclear program", the Russian ministry of foreign affairs said on Sunday.

"Invariably and repeatedly, we have emphasised the necessity of resolving the crisis concerning Iran's nuclear program exclusively through political and diplomatic means, and expressed our willingness to help find mutually acceptable solutions," the statement read.

Publicly, Moscow has defended Tehran's right to use nuclear technology for civilian purposes but in recent months, Putin has also drawn closer to US President Donald Trump.

On June 13, Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iran, triggering a 12-day war.

The conflict halted negotiations initiated in April between Tehran and Washington to frame Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions against Iran.

On June 22, the United States bombed the underground uranium enrichment site at Fordo, south of Tehran, and nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Natanz.

The exact extent of the damage is not known.