Iranians chant ‘Death to Khamenei,’ ‘Long live the shah’ at memorials for slain protesters
Regime holds memorial for thousands killed in protests it violently quashed, with IRGC chief vowing ‘consequences’ for supporters of the ‘rioters and terrorists’ it blames for unrest
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PARIS, France — Iranians shouted slogans against the leader of the Islamic Republic on Tuesday as they gathered to commemorate protesters killed in a crackdown on nationwide demonstrations that rights groups said left thousands dead, according to videos verified by AFP.
The country’s clerical authorities also staged a commemoration in the capital Tehran to mark the 40th day since the deaths at the peak of the protests on January 8 and 9, in line with Shiite mourning tradition.
Officials acknowledge more than 3,000 people died during the unrest, but attribute the violence to “terrorist acts,” while rights groups say many more thousands of people were killed, shot dead by security forces in a violent crackdown.
The protests, sparked by anger over the rising cost of living before exploding in size and anti-government fervour, subsided after the crackdown, but in recent days, Iranians have chanted slogans from the relative safety of homes and rooftops at night.
On Tuesday, videos verified by AFP showed crowds gathering at memorials for some of those killed again shouting slogans against the theocratic government in place since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
In videos geolocated by AFP shared on social media, a crowd in Abadan in western Iran holds up flowers and commemorative photos of a young man as they shout “death to Khamenei,” referring to Iran’s supreme leader, and “long live the shah,” in support of the ousted monarchy.
“Death to Khamenei “
In Iran, in the city of Abdanan, during the 40th-day memorial for their murdered loved ones, as live bullets were fired, people bravely chanted: “Death to Khamenei.”
Abadan was one of the cities that suffered one of the highest numbers of deaths in the… pic.twitter.com/kJGMEydUnP— Masih Alinejad ????️ (@AlinejadMasih) February 17, 2026
Another video from the same city shows people running in panic from the sounds of shots, though it wasn’t immediately clear if they were from live fire.
Security forces opened fire on mourners in Abdanan, Ilam province in western Iran, on Tuesday at the 40th-day memorial for slain protester Alireza Seidi. pic.twitter.com/UmFTVNRGAJ
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) February 17, 2026
In the northeastern city of Mashhad, a crowd in the street chanted, “One person killed, thousands have his back,” another verified video showed.
After regime forces shut down the venue of Hamid Mahdavi's memorial, mourners stood outside and chanted "Long live the Shah (King)!"
Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran
February 17, 2026 pic.twitter.com/m0vjeM5cVs
— National Union for Democracy in Iran (@NUFDIran) February 17, 2026
Gatherings also took place in other parts of the country, according to videos shared by rights groups.
Official commemorations
At the government-organized memorial in Tehran, crowds carried Iranian flags and portraits of those killed as nationalist songs played and chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” echoed through the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended a similar event at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.
Authorities have accused sworn enemies, the United States and Israel, of fuelling “foreign-instigated riots,” saying they hijacked peaceful protests with killings and vandalism.
Senior officials, including First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and Revolutionary Guards commander Esmail Qaani, attended the ceremony.
“Those who supported rioters and terrorists are criminals and will face the consequences,” Qaani said, according to Tasnim news agency.
International organisations have said evidence shows Iranian security forces targeted protesters with live fire under the cover of an internet blackout.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has recorded more than 7,000 killings in the crackdown, the vast majority of protesters, though rights groups warn the toll is likely far higher.
More than 53,500 people have been arrested in the ongoing crackdown, HRANA added, with rights groups warning protesters could face execution.
On Friday, Iran said it had established a fact-finding committee to investigate the killings at the protests, while authorities pledged swift trials for those involved in the violence.
State television has in recent weeks aired what it described as confessions by people accused of armed attacks on public property and security personnel. Citing the testimony of former Iranian detainees, HRANA has said the confessions often come after psychological or physical torture, and can have serious consequences, including the death penalty.
The Iranian government ceremony on Tuesday coincided with the second round of indirect nuclear talks between Iran and the US in Geneva, amid heightened tensions after Washington beefed up its military presence in the Middle East, threatening last month to strike Iran if it did not stop killing protesters.
The Times of Israel Community.