Name: Iran Roiled by Protests Amid Mounting Regional Tension
Uploaded: 2025-01-04T20:36:08.000Z
Description: Iran saw several days of violent protests last week, triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being detained for “inappropriate attire.” Dozens have reportedly been killed, including security personnel, in what Iranian state media has described as “foreign-backed riots.”

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

NTD Plus

News

News with integrity, from the United States and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

Hawaii’s Lt. Gov. Indicted in State Corruption Probe

Melina Wisecup is NTD's congressional correspondent based in Washington, covering Capitol Hill and campaign politics.

Melina Wisecup

Washington Roundup (July 25): Save America Act, Defense Funds, Protesting Chinese Regime

Daniel Monaghan is a reporter for NTD News covering culture, social issues, and education. He holds a BA in Political Science and Government.

Daniel Monaghan

White House Week in Review (July 25): Iran Strikes, Saudi Nuclear Deal, Lebanese President Visits

Kyiv Gathering Calls for End to Persecution of Falun Gong

Paul Greaney is an NTD news anchor and producer. Since joining the company in 2018, he has anchored the station’s flagship Evening News broadcast, launched the NTD Business show, and produced documentary reports on pointed issues. 

The highlight of Paul’s time in the field was his coverage of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Paul Greaney

'Deeply Concerned' About Democratic Party Decision-Making: Strategist on Graham Platner's Replacement

Jackson Richman is a Washington correspondent for The Epoch Times. In addition to Washington politics, he covers the intersection of politics and sports/sports and culture. He previously was a writer at Mediaite and Washington correspondent at Jewish News Syndicate. His writing has also appeared in The Washington Examiner. He is an alum of George Washington University.

Jackson Richman

US News

Politics

2026 Midterm Elections

Democrats Pick Troy Jackson to Challenge Sen. Collins in Maine Senate Race

Sam Wang is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Sam covers politics on Capitol Hill, and U.S.-China relations. 

Sam Wang

What the People Say: What's Your Favorite Work of Art?

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

Trump is 'Trying to Level the Playing Field’ with Tariffs: Researcher

David Lam is a national correspondent based in California and a part-time anchor for "NTD Tonight." Before joining NTD he was a financial analyst.

David Lam

11 Charged After Illegal Immigrants Found Dead in Boxcar

Christina Corona is a California-based reporter for NTD News. She primarily covers California news, politics, and entertainment.  

Christina Corona

Nearly 150,000 Mail-In Ballots Rejected in California

Chris Beers is an NTD News anchor and political correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Chris co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Chris Beers

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 26)

Full Episodes

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 25)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 24)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 23)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 22)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 21)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 20)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 19)

Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 18)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 17)

Tom Gantert is a reporter for The Epoch Times.

Tom Gantert

Executive Branch

Trump Uses Recent Speeches to Warn Americans of Resurging Communism

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

Shows

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

2.8 Million People in China Evacuated Amid Typhoon Bavi

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Congress

House Passes Legislation to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

NTD Films

NTD+ Movies

The Unrestricted War

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

Sen. Lindsey Graham Likely Died After Aorta Tear, Medical Examiner Says

Mary Man is a writer for NTD. She has traveled around the world covering China, international news, and arts and culture.

Mary Man

China News

China Floods: Thousands at Risk After Multiple Dams Collapse in Guangxi

House Passes Defense Policy Bill That Attaches SAVE America Act

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

World News

Middle East

Iran

US, Iran Launch New Strikes; Trump Warns Ceasefire May Collapse

Bringing you the latest videos, livestreams, and premieres.


NTD Video

Label

Live

NTD+ Live

Trump Signs Executive Order at White House (June 29)

Original programs, movies, drama series, and documentaries produced by NTD. 


NTD Original

Documentaries

Pooja Mor: Transcendent Beauty

Iran saw several days of violent protests last week, triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being detained for “inappropriate attire.” Dozens have reportedly been killed, including security personnel, in what Iranian state media has described as “foreign-backed riots.”

While American officials voice support for the protesters, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has vowed to deal “decisively” with the demonstrations, which, as of Sept. 25, have persisted in several Iranian cities.

Mehmet Koc, a senior expert at the Ankara-based Iranian Studies Center, attributed the protests to “long-simmering resentment over Iran’s mandatory head-scarf practices, which culminated in Mahsa Amini’s death.”

“But it’s possible that external forces hope to capitalize on the crisis,” Koc told The Epoch Times.

Notably, the protests first erupted in earnest on the same day that Iran officially joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a formidable bloc of Eurasian states led by Russia and China.
<h2>Death Sparks Outrage</h2>
On Sept. 13, Amini was detained in Tehran for failing to adhere to Iran’s strict Islamic dress code for women. Three days later, while still in police custody, she died in hospital.

While the authorities claim Amini died of sudden heart failure, her family says there is evidence that she suffered physical abuse at the hands of police, which led to her death.

On Sept. 16, thousands of people hit the streets of the capital to protest both Amini’s death and Iran’s conservative restrictions on dress, according to which women must cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothing.

Despite promises by authorities to investigate the incident, protests rapidly spread to other cities, including Esfahan, Tabriz and Mashhad. In some cases, angry protesters attacked and set on fire police stations and vehicles.

According to recent tallies by official Iranian sources, at least 35 people, including security personnel, have been killed in the unrest. Some independent commentators, however, put the death toll much higher.

Amid reports that Internet access had been cut by the Iranian authorities, the U.S. Treasury Department on Sept. 23 vowed to broaden the range of online services available in the country.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the Washington was “redoubling its support for the free flow of information to the Iranian people.”

The same day saw large counter-demonstrations in several Iranian cities, in which protesters defended Islamic cultural norms, voiced support for the government, and blamed the unrest on “foreign enemies.”

In televised comments, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi asserted that the anti-government protests were “not related to Ms. Amini at all” and that her death was being exploited by “organized groups” seeking to “wreak havoc in the country.”


<h2>Geopolitical Realignments</h2>
Amini died and the protests began on Sept. 16, the same day that Iran joined the SCO at a watershed summit in the Uzbek city of Samarkand.

Attended by leaders of major Eurasian states, including Russia and China, the SCO summit in Samarkand was widely perceived as a direct challenge to western influence in the region.

Currently the world’s largest regional bloc, the SCO was originally founded by Moscow and Beijing in 2001 to serve as a bulwark against perceived U.S. global hegemony.

Speaking to fellow Eurasian leaders at the summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the emergence of “new centers of power” able to stand up to western influence.

Koc believes that Iran, long the target of U.S. sanctions, will benefit from its membership in the organization.

“Firstly, it will serve to offset Washington’s efforts to isolate Iran internationally,” he said. “It will also strengthen the country’s ability to deal with the effects of US sanctions.”

SCO membership is also expected to cement ties between Iran and Russia, both of which firmly support Syria’s Bashar al-Assad government.

Notably, on Sept. 23, officials in Kyiv announced plans to downgrade Ukraine’s diplomatic ties with Tehran over an alleged decision by the latter to supply Russia with advanced aerial drones.

In Samarkand, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said the world was currently witnessing geopolitical realignments “not seen in a century.” He also warned of attempts by “external forces” to instigate “color revolutions” in SCO member states.

Koc, for his part, dismissed the suggestion that foreign powers were “organizing and implementing” the ongoing protests in Iran.

“But it’s possible that external forces hope to capitalize on the crisis,” he said, noting that the protests “come at a time when Iran is unwilling to make concessions in talks with the West over its nuclear program.”


<h2>Regional Unrest</h2>
Iran isn’t the only SCO member state to have experienced tensions within the last two weeks.

On Sept. 12, clashes erupted between Armenia and SCO member Azerbaijan, leaving scores dead on both sides. Two days later, at least 100 people were killed in clashes between SCO members Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

According to Koc, the rapidly escalating rivalry between Russia and the collective West “could be a contributing factor to the recent unrest in areas seen as Russia's backyard.”

“As a result of this ongoing power struggle,” he added, “it’s very likely that tensions in these areas will continue in the upcoming period.”

<em>Reuters contributed to this report.</em>

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/iran-roiled-by-protests-amid-mounting-regional-tension_4753644.html">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Videos

iran

protests

Latest Clips

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.

Iran Roiled by Protests Amid Mounting Regional Tension

Stefania Cox is an NTD News anchor and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Stefania anchors "NTD Newsroom," and co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Stefania Cox

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 24)

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.