Iran protests gain momentum as state flag torn down in Mashhad

"A group of protesters in the holy city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran took down a huge flag of the Islamic Republic," the report said.

Mashhad is Iran's second-largest city after Tehran.

A group of workers from Iran's largest gas field, South Pars, also joined the protests.

According to human rights activists and the media, dozens of people have been killed as a result of harsh actions by security forces, while more than 2,000 people have been detained.

In several cities, authorities shut down internet access to limit the spread of information and disrupt protest coordination.

Extensive protests in Iran

Since late 2025, Iran has been gripped by mass protests that have grown significantly in scale and have already escalated into armed clashes.

The unrest began on December 28, when traders from Tehran's central market took to the streets to protest a sharp drop in the national currency exchange rate.

According to local media, sellers of mobile phones, electronics, and household appliances, who purchase goods in foreign currency but sell them in local currency, were the most active protesters.

Students and other groups later joined the demonstrations, as did—somewhat unexpectedly—people who had previously been considered a pillar of the regime.

The Iranian authorities responded with extreme force, using live fire, special equipment, beatings, and mass arrests.

As of January 6, at least 35 people were killed, including four children, and around 1,200 people were detained.

US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called Iran's ayatollah-led regime "Nazi" and openly stated that help is already on the way, hinting at possible punitive actions by the US against Iranian leadership.

Meanwhile, The Times reported that Iran's Supreme Leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has prepared an escape plan to flee to Moscow in case security forces fail to suppress the protests or begin to desert.