Report: New Anti-Government Chants in Tehran After Giant Rallies Abroad 

Protesters attend a demonstration organized by The Munich Circle, against the Iranian government under the motto "Freedom for Iran", during the Munich Security Conference (MSC), in Munich, Germany, February 14, 2026. (Reuters)
Protesters attend a demonstration organized by The Munich Circle, against the Iranian government under the motto "Freedom for Iran", during the Munich Security Conference (MSC), in Munich, Germany, February 14, 2026. (Reuters)
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Report: New Anti-Government Chants in Tehran After Giant Rallies Abroad 

Protesters attend a demonstration organized by The Munich Circle, against the Iranian government under the motto "Freedom for Iran", during the Munich Security Conference (MSC), in Munich, Germany, February 14, 2026. (Reuters)
Protesters attend a demonstration organized by The Munich Circle, against the Iranian government under the motto "Freedom for Iran", during the Munich Security Conference (MSC), in Munich, Germany, February 14, 2026. (Reuters)

Some residents of Tehran on Sunday chanted slogans against the clerical leadership from balconies and windows, reports said, a day after Iranians abroad staged giant opposition rallies in Europe and North America.

The country under supreme leader Ali Khamenei was shaken by a protest movement that peaked in January and which according to rights groups was repressed by security forces in a crackdown that left thousands dead.

While the street protests have petered out in the face of the crackdown, last week residents of Tehran and other cities began shouting slogans against the leadership from the relative safety of their own homes inside vast apartment blocks.

In a new night of chants, residents of the eastern Tehran district of Ekbatan on Sunday shouted "death to Khamenei", "death to the Islamic republic" and "long live the shah", according to the Shahrak Ekbatan social media account which monitors the area.

Reza Pahlavi, the son of the shah ousted by the revolution, had urged people inside the country to stage such actions in parallel with protests abroad over the weekend.

Police in the southern German city of Munich said 250,000 people attended a rally there Saturday which in an unusual move was personally addressed by Pahlavi.

Other major pro-monarchy rallies were held in diaspora strongholds including Los Angeles and Toronto.

Pahlavi's office said on X that over a million people had attended such rallies worldwide, but it was not immediately possible to confirm the figure.

Speaking in Munich, Pahlavi hailed the rally as the biggest such in years and said he was ready to lead a transition in Iran.

Monarchist supporters were also gladdened by an extremely rare public appearance at the rally by his sole surviving full sibling, his sister the former princess Farahnaz.

Persian-language TV channel Iran International, which is based outside Iran, reported similar actions taking place in other parts of Tehran Sunday, broadcasting images of people chanting "this is the final battle, Pahlavi is coming back" and "death to the Guards" in reference to the authorities' ideological army the Revolutionary Guards.

Slogans hostile to the authorities were also chanted in other cities including Shiraz in the south and Arak in the center of the country, it added.

It was not immediately possible for AFP to verify the videos.

The new actions come two days ahead of talks on Tuesday between the US and Iran focused on the Iranian nuclear program in Geneva which are seen as crucial to determining if Washington goes ahead with military action against Tehran.

According to the latest toll issued by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, over 7,000 people were killed during the protests, the vast majority protesters shot dead by security forces. Almost 54,000 people have been arrested in a crackdown that is ongoing, it added.



Islamic Nations D-8 Summit Postponed Due to Middle East War

People gather at the site of an airstrike, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 12, 2026. (Reuters)
People gather at the site of an airstrike, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 12, 2026. (Reuters)
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Islamic Nations D-8 Summit Postponed Due to Middle East War

People gather at the site of an airstrike, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 12, 2026. (Reuters)
People gather at the site of an airstrike, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 12, 2026. (Reuters)

An April summit of the D-8 bloc of Muslim-majority developed countries that includes Iran has been postponed due to the war in the Middle East, host Indonesia said Friday.

No new date was announced for the meeting that was to have stretched over four days, culminating in a leaders' summit on April 15.

Fresh strikes rocked Iran and several Gulf countries Friday as Israel and Iran unleashed a new wave of attacks in a war that has ignited the Middle East and threatens to torpedo the world economy.

Apart from Iran and Indonesia, the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation also includes Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Türkiye.

Referring to "developments since February 28" when the US-Israeli attacks on Iran started, Indonesian foreign ministry official Tri Tharyat said it was decided to hold the D-8 meeting at a later date.

"It is regrettable that there are still no visible signs of de-escalation," he told reporters in Jakarta.

"Last night, the foreign minister signed a letter addressed to his counterparts announcing the postponement of the D-8 summit," added Tri.


US Braces for Potential Iranian Retaliatory Operations within its Borders

US President Donald Trump speaks with the media as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (R) and special envoy Steve Witkoff (C) look on aboard Air Force One during a flight from Dover, Delaware, to Miami, Florida, on March 7, 2026. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks with the media as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (R) and special envoy Steve Witkoff (C) look on aboard Air Force One during a flight from Dover, Delaware, to Miami, Florida, on March 7, 2026. (AFP)
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US Braces for Potential Iranian Retaliatory Operations within its Borders

US President Donald Trump speaks with the media as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (R) and special envoy Steve Witkoff (C) look on aboard Air Force One during a flight from Dover, Delaware, to Miami, Florida, on March 7, 2026. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks with the media as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (R) and special envoy Steve Witkoff (C) look on aboard Air Force One during a flight from Dover, Delaware, to Miami, Florida, on March 7, 2026. (AFP)

Fears have grown in the US that Tehran could activate “sleeper cells” or carry out unconventional retaliatory attacks on American soil as Washington and Tel Aviv continue their war against Iran.

President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that his administration knows where the Iranian sleeper cells are and is monitoring all of their members. The statement appeared aimed both at reassuring the public and sending a warning to Iran.

Still, the tone contrasts with more cautious assessments from US security agencies, which say the threat remains potential rather than imminent or specific.

Security agencies on alert

Trump’s remarks followed earlier comments in which he said the situation was “under control” and that authorities were “watching everyone” of the suspected sleeper cells.

While the president sought to link the issue to immigration, security agencies have adopted a more measured approach. A US intelligence assessment issued after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned that Iran and its proxies could resort to selective attacks inside the United States, though large-scale assaults are considered less likely.

Officials see a higher probability of cyberattacks or smaller operations carried out by limited networks or sympathetic individuals.

The Department of Homeland Security has similarly assessed that Iran and its proxies could pose a threat through targeted attacks inside the United States.

Against that backdrop, Kash Patel, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced on Feb. 28 that the bureau had placed its counterterrorism and intelligence teams on “maximum alert.”

The move included mobilizing additional security resources and emphasizing that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces nationwide are working around the clock to detect and disrupt potential threats. Such measures typically involve heightened surveillance of high-priority suspects, expanded use of confidential sources, reviews of technical intelligence tools and closer coordination between federal and local authorities.

Drone concerns in California

One development that drew attention in recent days was the disclosure of a confidential FBI bulletin circulated through the Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center before the outbreak of the war.

The notice warned that Iran might attempt to retaliate for US attacks by launching drones from ships at sea targeting California.

According to a security bulletin reviewed by Reuters, the FBI distributed the warning last month to law enforcement agencies, citing information collected in late February suggesting Iran could plan a surprise drone attack launched from a vessel offshore if Washington carried out strikes against it.

The bulletin, however, contained no specific information on timing or targets and described the scenario more as a potential ambition than a confirmed operational plan. It also said no further details were available regarding how such an attack might be carried out or who might be involved.

Details of the bulletin emerged publicly as the war, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, entered its twelfth day.

Vigilance but no imminent threat

California authorities sought to balance caution with reassurance. Governor Gavin Newsom said the state was aware of the warning and was coordinating closely with federal and local agencies while preparing for worst-case scenarios. He stressed that no credible or imminent threats had been identified.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie delivered similar messages, saying no specific threat had been detected but that coordination with federal authorities was ongoing.

Local police departments across the state said they had been informed of a higher risk environment and urged residents to report suspicious activity.

Past incidents

Previous cases have heightened US concerns. In July 2021, the Justice Department revealed a plot linked to an Iranian intelligence network to kidnap journalist and activist Masih Alinejad from New York and forcibly take her to Iran.

In March 2025, a federal court convicted two leaders of an Eastern European organized crime network in a murder-for-hire scheme targeting Alinejad on behalf of actors linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

They were sentenced in October that year to 25 years in prison each. Another defendant involved in surveilling Alinejad and planning her killing in New York was sentenced in January 2026 to 15 years in prison.


Turkish-Owned Ship Allowed to Pass Through Strait of Hormuz, Minister Says

A man walks along the shore as oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz, seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP)
A man walks along the shore as oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz, seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP)
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Turkish-Owned Ship Allowed to Pass Through Strait of Hormuz, Minister Says

A man walks along the shore as oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz, seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP)
A man walks along the shore as oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz, seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP)

A Turkish-owned ship that had been waiting near Iran was allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after authorities received permission from Tehran, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said. 

In comments to Turkish media on Thursday that were released on Friday, Uraloglu said Ankara had declared the highest-level security warning ‌for the strait ‌and continued contacts with Iranian ‌officials ⁠regarding the situation ⁠of the remaining 14 Turkish-owned vessels there. 

"Fifteen ships (with Turkish owners) were there; we obtained permission from the Iranian authorities for one of them, which had used an Iranian port, and it passed," Uraloglu said. 

The ministry said the ⁠ship that passed the strait was ‌the Rozana. It added ‌that Turkish-owned vessels had a total of 171 personnel ‌in the area. 

The US-Israeli war on Iran ‌has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, leaving tankers and other ships stranded, which has stoked concerns about global energy supply. 

Separately, the ministry said Turkish ‌Airlines and Ajet had cancelled flights to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Doha, Dubai, ⁠Abu ⁠Dhabi, Kuwait, Bahrain and Dammam until March 19, while flights to Iran were cancelled until March 20. 

Pegasus Airlines cancelled flights to Kuwait, Bahrain, Doha, Amman, Beirut, Iraq, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah until March 23, while cancelling Iran flights until March 28, it added. 

Turkish Airlines has added flights to Oman, it said, adding that 76 flights had been diverted to Türkiye since the start of the war on February 28.