John Ellis’s News Items newsletter leads this morning with this story from Iran International starring Tank Man in Tehran:
Strikes and protests in Iran spread nationwide on Monday, turning violent in several cities as nighttime crowds chanted against the ruling state and bazaar merchants vowed to continue their shutdowns and demonstrations into Tuesday.
What began as anger over the surging price of the US dollar and the collapse of the rial has widened into a broader wave of unrest, moving beyond market corridors and into streets, squares and university campuses across multiple provinces.
In Tehran, major sections of the bazaar were shuttered, including major commercial centers in the Grand Bazaar as well as the Alaeddin mall.
Crowds poured into streets in several parts of central Tehran, where security forces deployed tear gas and clashes were reported.
One widely shared video shows a protester sitting on the ground in front of security forces. Many viewers compared the scene to the “Tank Man” moment during China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, a symbol of solitary defiance in the face of state power. The protester was quickly beaten and removed….
The Iran International story continues. The Iran International X feed also has more. Let us pause here, however, to pay tribute to Tank Man of Tehran.
#BREAKING A video obtained by Iran International shows security forces shooting directly at protesters in Hamadan on Monday. pic.twitter.com/MiSXcdyrnp
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) December 29, 2025
