Mosques burnt down to the ground, banks flattened, street signs removed, and roads scratched and destroyed by tyre fires. Walking through the streets of Tehran and other major cities, the scars symbolise the largest wave of unrest in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
After about three weeks of fierce clashes between security forces and protesters – much of which unfolded under a near-total internet blackout – Iran is now trying to replace anti-government scenes with organised pro-government rallies. Streets are lined with banners and billboards portraying what authorities call “victory over a foreign plot”. There are images of national flags, killed security personnel and slogans of allegiance to the Islamic Republic.
Millions took to the streets on Wednesday for the second time this week to attend funerals for more than 100 security personnel killed during the unrest, according to official figures. The rallies followed similar mass gatherings on Monday, which state media framed as a turning point in the 47-year history of the Islamic Republic.
The message from officials is clear: Iran survived the unrest and is now firmly in control of the streets.
Crowds waved Iranian flags and chanted slogans condemning what they described as a foreign-backed sedition. State-run television repeatedly compared the scenes to the 2009 post-election rallies, when mass pro-government demonstrations helped bring months of anti-government protests to an end.
From protesters to 'terrorists'
Unlike previous protests, Iran’s official rhetoric this time has been one of intolerance towards any sign of civil disobedience. Protesters once described as “rioters” are now labelled “foreign-backed terrorists.” This can be heard in interviews on state television, in speeches by officials and in banners held by rally participants.
The rebranding serves two purposes: discrediting any form of protest and reframing unrest as a national security threat. Under Iranian law, collaboration with hostile foreign powers can carry the death penalty, a reality that awaits many demonstrators.
More than 2,600 people have been killed, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, while more than 18,400 arrests have been made.
Following Monday’s mass pro-government gatherings, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sent a text message to millions of mobile phones thanking people for “thwarting American attempts to destabilise the country,” reinforcing the official narrative that the unrest was externally engineered.
Amid a nationwide internet shutdown, Iran now largely controls the narrative. Foreign news sites are mostly inaccessible, social media platforms remain blocked and communication apps barely function. Calls from exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, which drew large crowds in the early days of the unrest, are no longer widely heard inside the country.
This follows a pattern seen during previous protests – in 2022 after Mahsa Zhina Amini’s death and in 2019 after fuel price rises – when authorities cut connectivity to calm the unrest.
State media claims unrest has subsided and streets are quiet. In Tehran, that appears largely true. There are fewer gathering points, there is a heavier security presence and evenings are quieter.
Still, a handful of videos continue to surface from other provinces through smuggled satellite connections such as Starlink. They show scattered clashes and burning debris. Their authenticity, however, is difficult to verify amid the blackout.
State media’s narrative
As Iran pulls the plug on the internet, most citizens now rely on state broadcaster IRIB and online local outlets to check the news.
On state media, the message relayed is about “national resistance” against a foreign sedition. Special shows air public interviews denouncing the unrest and the need to punish the “saboteurs”. According to local reporting, all the death and destruction is part of a conspiracy carefully orchestrated by the US and Israel after they “failed” in last year's 12-day war.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told foreign diplomats that Iran has recordings of voice messages sent to “terrorist elements” ordering them to shoot at civilians and security forces. “Authorities have evidence that some attacks were intended to increase fatalities to provoke US intervention,” he claimed.
State television now airs segments showing what it calls confessions by detained protesters allegedly collaborating with foreign intelligence services, including possession of communications equipment and weapons.
Officials use these reports to justify arrests and label protesters as threats to national stability. “Following announcements by Israel and the US president, there is no excuse for those coming to the streets for riots and unrest,” Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni‑Ejei said.
Core demands forgotten
As the authorities attempt to control the narrative, the main grievances that ignited the protests are largely swept under the carpet. Inflation persists, the national currency continues to fluctuate and food prices are soaring. “They controlled the internet and the unrest, but they didn’t address our grievances over economic hardship,” says a taxi driver in Tehran.
“We’ve seen casualties and arrests, but we haven’t seen any meaningful economic outcome,” a shopkeeper complains. “Prices are still high and online businesses have been destroyed by the blackout.”
While blurred faces of alleged Mossad collaborators are frequently shown, some shopkeepers reject the claim that most participants were foreign agents.
“Most people were workers, students, shop owners,” says another shopkeeper. “Maybe outsiders existed, but the protests were genuine and not a foreign plot. We don’t burn mosques. We are Muslims.”
Iran now projects an image of restored order, backed by mass rallies and control of information. But beneath the street banners declaring victory, frustration lingers. Many Iranians describe the calm as enforced rather than earned and the economic issues that sparked the protests have not been meaningfully tackled.
For now, Tehran is calmer. But in a country scarred by weeks of unrest, an internet blackout, and unresolved economic hardship, the quiet feels uneasy – more pause than peace.
