Iranian authorities are facing growing accusations of orchestrating a coordinated disinformation campaign to weaken ongoing nationwide protests, as demonstrations against the ruling system enter their seventh day. Activists and opposition figures say state-linked networks are spreading fake news, manipulated videos, and misleading narratives in an effort to fracture public unity and suppress demands for political change.
Protests erupted in the capital and quickly spread to other cities after a sharp collapse in the value of the national currency, forcing businesses to close and drawing thousands into the streets. Demonstrators soon shifted from economic grievances to direct calls for the removal of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the clerical establishment. At least ten protesters have been reported killed so far, including a 15-year-old boy, according to opposition sources.
Tensions escalated further after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iranian authorities against the continued use of lethal force, stating on social media that the United States was prepared to support peaceful demonstrators if killings persisted. His comments came amid reports that units linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been pushed back in several confrontations with protesters.
Opposition activists claim the state responded by deploying plainclothes agents into protest crowds and launching a wave of online disinformation. According to these accounts, operatives attempted to redirect chants toward support for Reza Pahlavi, son of the former shah, in an effort to portray the uprising as a monarchist movement rather than a broad rejection of authoritarian rule.
Members of the National Council of Resistance of Iran said this tactic was designed to divide protesters and dilute calls for systemic change. They reported that protest videos were altered with fabricated audio calling for the restoration of the monarchy and widely circulated online. In several instances, demonstrators responded by chanting against both the former shah and the current leadership, rejecting what they described as deliberate provocation.
Similar methods were reported in other cities, including incidents where individuals later identified as members of the Basij paramilitary force infiltrated protests and funerals of dissidents, chanting pro-monarchy slogans before assisting security forces in arrests. Digital analysts reviewing circulated footage said many clips showed signs of manipulation, including mismatched soundtracks and visual inconsistencies typical of doctored or deepfake content.
Opposition figures, including supporters of Maryam Rajavi, argue that the demonstrations reflect a unified demand for political freedom, equality, and an end to all forms of dictatorship. They say that despite the state’s use of infiltration, misinformation, and digital manipulation, the core message from the streets remains unchanged.
As protests continue, Iran’s leadership faces mounting pressure at home and abroad, with growing scrutiny over both its security response and its alleged use of information warfare against its own population.
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