On the fifth consecutive day of nationwide protests across Iran, exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi issued a message calling for unity, persistence, and an expanded street presence.
Praising protesters for defying regime pressure, closures, and intimidation, Pahlavi urged demonstrators to continue occupying public spaces and to use upcoming gatherings to widen the scope of the protests.
Pahlavi said he and his team are working to amplify the voices of protesters internationally while encouraging defections from within the regime’s political, security, and administrative structures. He emphasized that sustained civil resistance, combined with internal cracks in the system, could accelerate the collapse of the Islamic Republic’s control.
As demonstrations continued, vendors at Tehran’s central fruit and vegetable market joined the protests on Thursday, marching and chanting slogans such as “No Gaza, no Lebanon, my life for Iran” and “strike, strike.” The participation of market workers — traditionally a key economic pillar — signaled growing momentum and frustration, as economic grievances increasingly merge with political opposition to the regime.