AP: What do Iran protests mean for President Rohani?
Rohani’s supporters have alleged that the initial protests in Mashhad on December 28 were orchestrated by his political rivals.
Iran’s First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said hard-liners “think by doing this they harm the government [but] it will be others who ride the wave," he told the state media.
Ellie Geranmayeh, Iran analyst for the European Council on Foreign Relations, says the allegations could present an opportunity for Rohani.
"I'm sure Rouhani's government will get a degree of political capital out of this. If the rumors are true and the conservatives started this, then people will see them as inept, and ask how they can possibly manage the country," she said.
Abbas Abdi, a Tehran-based analyst close to the reformists, says even if Rohani emerges politically unharmed, he still faces an angry populace and few easy solutions.
"This crisis has created a new opportunity for changes, which is necessary because otherwise the consequences could be serious. But it's not like Rouhani can wave a magic wand and it will all change."
Iranian nationals protest outside the Iranian consulate in the German city of Hamburg.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reacts to Trump's tweets.
In a series of tweets over the past week, Trump has pledged support for the protesters, promising to help Iranians "take back" their government and saying he respected “the people of Iran."
Iran's Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said 42,000 people had taken part in the nationwide protests.
It was a higher figure than the 15,000 given by the head of the IRGC yesterday, but still far below the hundreds of thousands that took to the streets during the last major protests in 2009.
A group of Iranians gathered outside Iran's embassy in Dublin on January 3 to express support for anti-establishment protesters in the country:
Father of student Soheil Aghazadeh who was arrested today in Tehran post on Twitter a photo of his son and writes: "My son, I'm waiting for you...You don't belong in prison. You are my everything."
The semiofficial ILNA news agency says Instagram has been unblocked in Iran. Telegram remains filtered, the report says.