Reaching a good deal with Iran 'difficult', negotiators tell Trump - Axios

The largest gatherings took place in Munich, Toronto and Los Angeles, the three cities highlighted in the exiled prince's calls for solidarity rallies.

In Munich, the local police estimated the crowd at around 250,000 people. Protesters filled the Theresienwiese grounds, waving lion-and-sun flags and chanting slogans in support of the national uprising in Iran.

In a speech delivered to the massive crowd in Munich, Pahlavi called the current moment “our final battle.”

Comparable crowds gathered in Toronto and Los Angeles, where tens of thousands answered the same call.

In Toronto, Canadian officials including Ontario Premier Doug Ford and provincial ministers addressed demonstrators, voicing support for the Iranian people and condemning Tehran’s crackdown.

In Los Angeles which is home to the biggest population of Iranian diaspora, speakers and cultural figures joined the rally, framing the turnout as a message to Western governments to increase pressure on the Islamic Republic.

The global demonstrations coincided with renewed nighttime protests across Iranian cities following a call by the exiled prince.

Videos sent to Iran International showed residents in Tehran, Karaj, Shiraz, Isfahan, Rasht, and Kermanshah chanting “Death to the dictator” and other anti-government slogans from rooftops and windows. In some neighborhoods, chants referenced Pahlavi directly, echoing slogans heard at overseas rallies.

Political developments unfolded in parallel. Canada announced sanctions against seven individuals accused of involvement in repression and transnational intimidation.

In Washington, two US officials told Reuters the military is preparing contingency plans for a possible multi-week operation against Iran if ordered by President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Axios reported that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner consider the prospects of a comprehensive agreement with Tehran “difficult, if not impossible,” ahead of expected talks in Geneva hosted by Oman.

Iranians chanted slogans from their homes and rooftops against the Islamic Republic in response to a call by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.

An eyewitness from Mehrshahr, Karaj, told Iran International that government forces responded by opening fire at their windows.

"It is a time of choosing. I choose the Iranian people over the murderous ayatollah. It is time for him to go," Republican senator and Trump ally Lindsey Graham told a massive crowd of Iranian protesters in Munich as he waved the pre-1979 Lion and Sun flag of Iran.

"Liberation is at hand. To the people of the world: Speak up. Speak loudly. This is a moment of choosing. This is a moment of change. It's been a moment. I've been dreaming of a free Iran. A road that doesn't want the darkness. But embraces the light," he said.

"To the American people. The Iranian people will be your friend. They will be your ally. Stand with the Iranian people. They deserve their freedom to the American people. Remember when we fought for our freedom? Do you remember when we wanted to be independent and free?"

A group of Iranians gathered in Amsterdam on Saturday in solidarity with the protesters inside the country.

Participants chanted slogans including, “We swear by the blood of our comrades, we will stand until the end.”

Debate in Europe over Iran’s future has intensified and Iranians’ rally in Munich could influence decision-making by European leaders, a German lawmaker said at the large gathering of Iranians in Munich.

Bundestag member Reza Asghari said such demonstrations send a signal that can shape Europe’s approach and affect the stance of global leaders.

Germany’s parliament, he added, had adopted a resolution addressing the killing of people in Iran, and that an overwhelming majority of lawmakers, along with the chancellor, condemned the abuses.