Netanyahu: Now could be moment Iranians ‘take their fate into their own hands’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israelis “identify with the struggle” of Iranians, as widespread protests against the regime continued in the Islamic Republic.

The demonstrations kicked off last Sunday with shopkeepers staging a strike over economic concerns, but have since ballooned in size and scope.

Though not yet as large as anti-regime protests of earlier years, the demonstrations came in the wake of Israeli and US attacks in June that severely weakened Iran’s military, and as renewed sanctions have battered the country’s already crippled economy.

At the start of his weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said that during his summit last week with US President Donald Trump in Florida, the pair discussed Iran in depth.

“We reiterated our shared position of zero [uranium] enrichment on the one hand, and the need to remove the 400 kilograms of enriched material from Iran and to subject the sites to strict and genuine oversight,” he said.

“The government of Israel, the State of Israel, and my own policies — we identify with the struggle of the Iranian people, with their aspirations for freedom, liberty and justice,” Netanyahu said. “It is quite possible that we are at a moment when the Iranian people are taking their fate into their own hands.”

Netanyahu’s comments came after senior Israeli officials told Channel 12 in recent days that, though government organs seemed to endorse the protests online, the prime minister himself was abstaining from commenting on the situation in Iran, so that the Islamic Republic would not use his remarks as a pretext to attack Israel.

Israel is reportedly concerned about Iran’s rebuilding efforts in the wake of the 12-day war between the two countries in June. Amid speculation that Israel could launch another attack against Iran to prevent it reconstituting its damaged ballistic missile and nuclear programs, reports have stressed leaders’ concerns over a miscalculation, in which one side, mistakenly anticipating an attack, could trigger another war to preempt it.

Rights group says 17 killed since protests’ start

Kurdish rights group Hengaw reported that at least 17 people have been killed since the start of the protests. HRANA, a network of rights activists, said at least 16 people had been killed and 582 arrested.

Sporadic protests broke out in the Iranian capital on Saturday evening, according to local media, which also reported intensifying clashes in the west of the country.

The protests have affected, to varying degrees, at least 40 cities, mostly medium-sized and located in the country’s west, according to an AFP tally based on official announcements and media reports.

Protests in Iran continue into an eighth day, with clashes, shop closures and heavy security deployments reported in Tehran and other cities following a deadly night of unrest.

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— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) January 4, 2026

Protests Saturday evening in Tehran were described as “limited” by the Fars news agency, which said they were “generally made up of groups of 50 to 200 young people.” Tehran’s population is about 10 million.

Demonstrators shouted slogans including “death to the dictator,” Fars said, though no major incidents were reported beyond some stone throwing and garbage bins being set alight.

The news agency said the situation in Tehran “contrasted with an intensification of violence and organized attacks in other regions, notably the country’s west.”

Video circulating on social media Saturday purported to show police opening fire on protesters in Malkshahi, a county of about 20,000 people, in the western Ilam province.

The UK-based, anti-regime Iran International outlet said at least five people were killed and 30 wounded in the incident.

A video circulating on social media shows the start of gunfire at protesters in the western city of Malekshahi, Ilam province, on Saturday. Information shared with Iran International indicates at least five people were killed and around 30 wounded during the incident. pic.twitter.com/spHJMhhLRv

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) January 4, 2026

A member of the security forces was killed in clashes there, Iranian media reported.

“Rioters attempted to storm a police station,” Fars said, adding that “two assailants were killed.”

Local media’s accounting of the protests is not exhaustive, and state-run outlets have downplayed the demonstrations in their coverage, while videos flooding social media are often impossible to verify.

Protests began a week ago among bazaar traders and shopkeepers before spreading to university students and then provincial cities, where some protesters have been chanting against Iran’s clerical rulers.

Iran has had inflation above 36 percent since the start of its year in March and its rial currency has lost around half its value against the dollar, causing hardship for many people. The government has struggled to provide water and electricity across the country throughout the year and global financial bodies predict a recession in 2026.

Authorities have attempted a dual approach to the protests — acknowledging the economic crisis and offering dialogue with demonstrators while meeting more forceful displays of dissent with violence. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that although authorities would talk to protesters, “rioters should be put in their place.”