Iran: Cleric denounces Islamic Republic,death toll rises to 192

At least 192 people have been killed in two weeks of protests against the government and economic strain in Iran, according to a Norway-based rights group.Meanwhile, a viral clip showing a cleric calling for the Islamic Republic’s overthrow has fueled debate over the role of the clergy and broader shifts in public attitudes. An elderly cleric who identifies himself as Ali Kashani, says he opposes what he calls a “criminal and murderer” government as shoppers and passersby move through the scene. In the footage, he denounces Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, and what he describes as “his sedition,” saying it has harmed the people, the country and religion, and calls on people to rise up against it.

#Breaking: Even Shia clerics who previously supported the Islamic regime of #Iran are now showing support for the anti-regime protests. In this video, a Shia cleric calls on people to rise up and fight against the Islamic regime, openly supporting the protests and stating that… pic.twitter.com/GGgqGhQJkb

— Babak Taghvaee - The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) January 7, 2026

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has urged the European Union to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps as a "terrorist organisation", as rights groups suspect the Islamic republic of using violence against protesters. Saar said on X that he told visiting German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt "that now is the time to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation within the European Union". "This has long been Germany's position, and today the importance of this matter is clear to all," Saar added.

Iranians living overseas rallied in London, Berlin, and other major cities over the weekend in a show of solidarity with the mass demonstrations in Iran. Iran’s president has said his government will listen to protesters, but rioters were trying to “destroy the entire society”. President Masoud Pezeshkian's comments represent a hardening tone from the reformist leader, who so far has been unable to assuage the public, as anger over the country’s ailing economy exploded into a direct challenge to the nation’s theocracy.