Iran’s leaders face most serious threat since 1979 Revolution

On 9 January 2026 Sky News reported that protests across Iran, ignited two weeks earlier by shopkeepers over a collapsing economy, have escalated into a nationwide movement aimed at removing 86‑year‑old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Demonstrators have burned state symbols and trampled infrastructure in Tehran, with a nationwide internet and phone blackout imposed by the regime. The Supreme Leader has cited foreign “mercenaries” and threatened death‑penalty sentences, warning that those who oppose the regime may be charged with waging war against God. Dozens of protesters have already been killed; the death toll continues to rise as authorities clamp down on dissent.