To wonder why the mainstream media is not reporting the massive anti-regime protests in Iran?

[supernaturalmilkshake]

There are currently massive anti-Islamic regime protests all over Iran by civilians, many of them chanting for the return of the Shah.

These protestors are incredibly brave, many of them have been killed, shot or taken away by the regime police.

The protests, some of them hundreds of thousands strong, all over Iran have been widely reported and documented by exiled Iranians on places like Twitter/X but the mainstream news has been strangely silent, especially the BBC that would normally have non-stop, headline reporting if this was about happening anywhere else.

AIBU to hope the regime falls and that the Iranians finally taste freedom after 47 years (and that the BBC should be reporting on this)?

Your response to someone saying the MSM isn't reporting on the murder of tens of thousands of civilians, in a place they have family, is that we're all a bunch of conspiracy nuts?

There's nothing wrong with questioning why the largest news organisations in the country are not reporting on something which is important to a lot of people and could have a global impact.

Plenty of other posters have pointed out that a lot of the decision making is commercial/click-driven, or due to barriers in reporting. Like most things, there are probably lots of factors that we can debate on, which is the point of a discussion forum. Not dismissing everyone you disagree with as a bunch of flat-earthers.

If you want to see "conspiracy theory/rabbit holes" in plain view, then go on to Craig Murray's blog, where a sizeable number of useless idiots, seem to think that the theocracy in Iran is great, simply because it responded to the Israeli and US attacks last year. They believe that the only protesters have been armed and supported by Israel/US and that the majority of Iranians support the regime. The BBC at the moment, seem to be very US centric in their reporting, devoting much of their time to the protests and killings in Minnesota and the damage caused by storms in the US and Canada.
What is happening in Iran is huge and it is happening behind a total block on the news/internet.

I don't think they can report on numbers which aren't verified. People in Iran are saying that the riots were over ages ago and that these numbers are being made up. I am assuming that this is verified by satellite images and this is why it is being dropped by media. The reports about attacking protesters - officials are telling us that the only protesters being shot at are those who are known to be committing crimes etc. If you think about it, there is no way for anyone to be assessing these numbers other than officials and so where do these numbers come from?

I don’t agree. They can and have report on unverified numbers.

Here’s an article about medics compiling numbers.

Key point copied here; The Iranian government has acknowledged more than 3,000 dead, and the US-based organisation HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency), whose figures have been reliable during previous crackdowns, says it has verified more than 6,000 dead and has more than 17,000 more recorded deaths under investigation, giving a possible total of about 22,000. Other estimates from doctors based outside Iran range up to 33,000 or more.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jan/27/iran-protests-death-toll-disappeared-bodies-mass-burials-30000-dead

I mean it is horrifying but it does seem very likely that the deaths are likely in the tens of thousands.

The "officials" you are talking about work for the regime, so it is in their interests to play down the protests and deaths as much as possible. The BBC/Channel 4 interviewed Professor Mohammed Marandi, who spoke at length about 2.3 million pro regime supporters protesting against the anti regime protesters, obviously propaganda because he is a mouthpiece for the regime.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Marandi

That’s an odd take.

I think this is a really good article, about why the protests have (temporarily) stopped. It gives an insight about how Iranians now view the regime. I think this has always been there below the surface, but following the levels of violence used by the regime against its own citizens, they now regard the regime as an occupying force.

https://kayhanlife.com/news/iran/opinion-after-the-slaughter-islamic-republic-faces-certain-collapse/

That’s a really interesting read, thank you for sharing.

This here: “A government that has to massacre its population to maintain silence has already crossed over into failure.” echoes what the German Chancellor Merz recently said about the Iranian regime: “A regime that can only hold onto power through sheer violence and terror against its own population: its days are numbered”.

Silence after a massacre is not submission. It is the interval before the next rupture. It is a society compressing under pressure that cannot be maintained forever.

Sorry edited as i forgot to reply to the first bit. You missed what I meant in relation to official numbers. What I meant was - we only have official numbers, and whether you trust them or not is a different issue. The other numbers - where do they come from? We only have access to official numbers. The poster upthread referred to doctor talking about certain types of injuries but these were in the hundred not the tens of thousands.

Incidentally Professor Marrandi is not the only person saying that most of the western reports were being made up, there are other Iranians who live in Iran being interviewed and saying the same thing, and there are tiktok videos showing crowds saying that they are okay with the peaceful protests, but that the rioters and armed protesters were either foreign agents or acting in accordance with foriegn agent instructions. I saw your reference to "useless idiots" - but these are iranians who are actually there so I assume you aren't referring to them all as "useless idiots".

Probably of more relevance as to why news reports about numbers are being dropped - Trump is hovering next to Iran, on the edge of war. He isn't saying "we must wage war to stop protesters being killed", he is saying "do what we say about nuclear and avoid war".

Well if someone on ticktock says so...

It is written by an Iranian professional living in the west (it says so). I have only read the beginning so far - they are describing a scene at the beginning which they didn't witness? I am not sure if that is very helpful? Or did they go on to explain that it was something they witnessed a long time ago and so they describe it as an example? It has been a long day and I might be missing the point though.

The tiktok videos show real people on the streets talking and giving opinions.

That is, each gives their own personal opinion. So the phrase "oh well if someone on tiktok says so..." doesn't apply. They aren't telling you what to think, they are telling you what they think.

I just googled HRANA, and read about how they were originally based in Iran and then moved to the US in 2010 under threat. The first thing people often google about activism groups is "who funds them" and HRANA do not give out any info about who funds it nor about how it compiles its information - which obviously you can understand is linked to fears, but it also obviously makes it difficult for normal observers to assess things.

What does seem quite odd is that their estimates in relation to the 12 day war and the death of Mahsa Amini, estimates of deaths and arrested were quite similar to offical numbers. For the recent protests 2026 there is a huge disparity between what HRANA are saying and official information and numbers.

Official numbers include death of security personnel, as well as of protesters.

The "useless idiots" are people on forums here, who are supporting the regime in Iran, simply because they hit back at Israel last year, they have no idea of what it is like to live in Iran, but I have, because I have been there three times since 1996.
As for the concept of armed protesters, people in Iran do not have weapons, they do not own guns, they do not have the means to physically oppose the regime.

This is the first time that there has been a complete shutdown of media communication with Iran, why do you think that is?
It is because they have slaughtered tens of thousands of people, using heavy weapons against them.

I think you are missing the point of what I said. Can you read my post again? See the references to previous protests and numbers.

The shut down is nothing to do with differences in numbers. There was also a shut down in relation to the 12 day war.

We have been told by western sources that protesters were being supported by western groups, and that westerners were there, this is why the internet was shut down. That is, we were told that by western sources. Not by Iran.
I think you are being a tad naive.

I have not seen one single post saying that the poster supports a regime because a regime hit back during the 12 day war. I think it is possible you are completely misreading the posts. If not, can you quote one?

What I have seen is posts saying that the western interest is not to do with normal Iranian peope but to do with geopolitics and money. And that regime changes never benefit normal people and more usually create chaos and destruction.

And I appreciate that you have been back there 3 times since 1996, but youtube and tiktok also have reports by normal people (from both the west - before the shut down - and Iran) who say different things from you, give a completely different impression. I don't know the truth as I have never been there, but how do you account for so many normal people saying different things from you? It is very confusing.

Do you support Pahlavi? Are you aware of what his father said about western geopolitics? NB I am not anti west at all. I am from the west and I am very much "people are people wherever you go". I also studied history, and so I am aware that the patterns of what is going on now go back to wwI, not much has changed in that respect.

The forums that I am talking about, do not include Mumsnet. There are half a dozen of them, where left leaning posters are saying that all the protestors in Iran are being backed by the West and Israel which is completely untrue and completely disregards all the anti regime protests since 1999. The protestors in Iran are not armed and there are not Western fighters helping them. The regime forces including the Basij and IRGC are using heavy machine guns, machine pistols and shotguns against the people.
I am not a Pahlavi or Trump supporter, but I believe that the Iranian people need help and the regime needs to go.
You said that there was a shutdown during the "12 day war" last year, which is completely untrue, because we were able to contact our relatives when that was going on.
Who are these "normal" people who give different accounts to me and what is it that they are saying?