Night rallies across Iran as war enters sixth week

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Iran over the weekend, voicing support for the country’s leadership as the campaign against the Islamic Republic entered its 36th day on Sunday.

Crowds gathered in major urban centers including Tehran, Nazarabad, Qaemshahr and Dehdasht, staying out until dawn, carrying portraits of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and chanting his name, according to the Tasnim news agency.

Casualties and defiance

Demonstrations, now stretching for more than five weeks, have continued despite ongoing strikes that have left 3,540 people dead so far. This figure includes 1,616 civilians and at least 244 children, the US-based human rights group HRANA has reported.

The rallies have increasingly become a regular expression of defiance and national unity, underscoring the Islamic Republic’s resilience despite a month-long campaign of intensive US and Israeli airstrikes, observers say.

In videos aired by Persian-language channels, protesters vowed to keep returning to the streets despite threats, while also chanting slogans condemning the military strikes.

In the capital: Crowds packed the city center, chanting "Heydar Heydar" and denouncing "hypocrites and traitors," according to Tasnim.

In Nazarabad: West of Tehran, large numbers of people filled the streets, with local media hailing the turnout as a show of strength.

In Qaemshahr: Residents in the northern city gathered to voice support for the leadership, with reports describing the scenes as part of sustained public mobilization.

IRAN - Population expressing defiance and national unity

Economic and diplomatic standoff

The US-Israeli military campaign against Iran began in late February 2026. The conflict has choked flows through the Strait of Hormuz—a conduit for roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply—after Iran closed the waterway to "enemy ships." Tehran has stated the strait will remain shut to the US and Israel, sending Brent crude well above $100.

Washington and Tehran received a Pakistan-brokered framework for an immediate ceasefire on Monday. However, Iran has rejected reopening the waterway under a temporary deal and dismissed US pressure, stating it will review the proposal on its own terms, according to Reuters.

Escalating threats

US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iranian infrastructure if no agreement is reached.

"Open the F***ing Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell—JUST WATCH," he wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.

As the deadline approaches, the scale of the nighttime rallies suggests a population preparing for further escalation rather than capitulation.