Day 9 Of Iran Uprising: Protests Resume In Multiple Cities As Regime Launches Mass Arrests In Ilam – OpEd |
The nationwide uprising against the religious dictatorship in Iran entered its ninth consecutive day on Monday, January 5, 2026. Following a bloody Sunday marked by the regime’s attack on a hospital in Ilam and intense clashes in Tehran, the unrest has shown no sign of abating.
On Monday, reports from across the country indicate that protests have resumed in Tehran’s commercial districts and expanded significantly in western provinces, particularly in Kermanshah. Despite a heavy security presence and internet blackouts in key areas, citizens in Sonqor, Yasuj, and Tehran have taken to the streets, chanting slogans against the regime’s foreign interventions and domestic repression. The uprising, initially sparked by economic collapse, has firmly established itself as a political movement seeking the overthrow of the ruling theocracy.
On Monday, January 5, 2026, the ninth day of the uprising saw a dramatic escalation from daytime strikes to intense nightly confrontations. While the regime attempted to crush the movement with mass arrests in Ilam and internet blackouts in Tehran, the resistance expanded. Nightfall brought live fire in western Iran, clashes in central Iran, and the rescue of detainees in the north, with protesters showing their resolve to bring down the regime.
Key highlights from today:
Nightfall brings fire and defiance: “Khamenei, we will bring you down!”
As Monday night deepened, the uprising intensified across Iran’s central and western provinces. Protesters in Tehran, Isfahan, and Arak lit fires to block streets, while slogans targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei echoed in dozens of cities. In a significant escalation in western Iran, security forces opened fire on protesters in Sonqor, yet the people refused to disperse. Meanwhile, in Yazd, the youth moved to direct action, targeting a Basij base with Molotov........