Over one million Iranians rallied across Europe, North America and Australia on Saturday in response to a call by exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi, while nighttime chants echoed from rooftops and apartment blocks inside Iran in a coordinated show of solidarity.
The largest gatherings took place in Toronto, Los Angeles and Munich, the three cities highlighted in the exiled prince's calls for solidarity rallies, where almost one million demonstrated.
In Munich, the local police estimated the crowd at around 250,000 people. Protesters filled the Theresienwiese grounds, waving lion-and-sun flags and chanting slogans in support of the national uprising in Iran.
In a speech delivered to the massive crowd in Munich, Pahlavi called the current moment “our final battle.”
The Toronto and Los Angeles rallies of Iranians also each drew 350,000 people, according to the two cities’ police.
In Toronto, Canadian officials including Ontario Premier Doug Ford and provincial ministers addressed demonstrators, voicing support for the Iranian people and condemning Tehran’s crackdown.
In Los Angeles which is home to the biggest population of Iranian diaspora, speakers and cultural figures joined the rally, framing the turnout as a message to Western governments to increase pressure on the Islamic Republic.
The global demonstrations coincided with renewed nighttime protests across Iranian cities following a call by the exiled prince.
Videos sent to Iran International showed residents in Tehran, Karaj, Shiraz, Isfahan, Rasht, and Kermanshah chanting “Death to the dictator” and other anti-government slogans from rooftops and windows. In some neighborhoods, chants referenced Pahlavi directly, echoing slogans heard at overseas rallies.
Political developments unfolded in parallel. Canada announced sanctions against seven individuals accused of involvement in repression and transnational intimidation.
In Washington, two US officials told Reuters the military is preparing contingency plans for a possible multi-week operation against Iran if ordered by President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, Axios reported that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner consider the prospects of a comprehensive agreement with Tehran “difficult, if not impossible,” ahead of expected talks in Geneva hosted by Oman.
