Live - Overnight chants in Iran follow mass diaspora rallies in global show of support

Summary

Iran signaled limited openness in nuclear talks, saying it is ready to discuss steps on its highly enriched uranium stockpile in exchange for sanctions relief, but ruled out zero enrichment. Indirect talks with the United States are set to continue this week in Geneva.
More than one million Iranians rallied worldwide on Sunday in solidarity with protesters inside Iran, marking one of the largest coordinated demonstrations by the diaspora in decades.
Munich drew over 250,000 people, according to police, where exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi delivered a speech on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
Toronto and Los Angeles each saw about 350,000 demonstrators, local police said, while London drew around 50,000 and Vancouver 45,000, alongside large gatherings across Europe and Australia.
The United States is deploying a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, with the USS Gerald R. Ford redeployed, increasing military pressure amid rising tensions with Tehran.

Feb 15, 2026, 10:57 GMT

Iran lawmaker says Munich crowd inflated by nearby event

An Iranian lawmaker dismissed a major rally in Munich as a staged “show,” despite Munich police estimating that about 250,000 people attended.

Morteza Mahmoudi, a Tehran MP, alleged that monarchist supporters had lured people from across Europe with “empty promises” and heavy spending, including travel and ticket costs, according to remarks carried by Iranian media.

He said the turnout was “very small” and alleged the crowd was inflated because it mixed with visitors attending a nearby pre-planned event, calling the global coverage of the rally “embarrassing.”

Feb 15, 2026, 10:50 GMT

Pezeshkian says society is 'wounded' after January crackdown

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the January unrest was “unimaginable,” arguing that authorities cannot solve the crisis by papering over the problem.

Using a medical metaphor, Pezeshkian said Iran must “treat the disease,” adding that his administration came to solve people’s problems rather than add to them.

He said public sentiment has been deeply harmed, saying the prevailing mindset in society has “taken a wound.”

Feb 15, 2026, 10:48 GMT

Families honor slain protesters 40th-day memorials with music and dance

Families of slain protesters are increasingly turning Iran’s 40th-day mourning ceremonies into acts of open defiance, replacing religious rites with dancing, music and wedding-style symbolism.

Relatives at Mohammad-Hossein Alikhani’s 40th-day ceremony at his graveside performed a mourning dance rather than holding a conventional Islamic service.

Video received by Iran International showed chanting and rhythmic movement instead of prayer recitations.

Alikhani, 25, was shot dead by security forces on January 8 in Tehran’s Fallah neighborhood.

At the memorial for 22-year-old athlete Erfan Bozorgi, family members carried symbolic wedding trays used in engagement ceremonies.

The ritual, known as tabagh-keshi, is typically associated with celebration, not mourning.

Bozorgi was killed by a gunshot wound to the head early in January in Marvdasht, Fars province.

Footage from Khorramabad showed drums and wind instruments played at Amirhossein Shakerami’s graveside, accompanied by a mourning dance.

Clapping and upbeat rhythms replaced the mournful tone that normally defines Iranian funerals.

Shakerami, 20, was shot in the abdomen during protests in Karaj on January 8 and later died of his injuries.

Feb 15, 2026, 09:49 GMT

US, Israel to step up pressure on Iranian oil sales to China

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed at a White House meeting this week to increase economic pressure on Iran, including efforts to curb its oil exports to China, Axios reported.

The understanding, reached during talks on Wednesday, would form part of a renewed “maximum pressure” campaign running alongside indirect nuclear negotiations with Tehran, according to two US officials briefed on the discussions.

“We agreed that we will go full force with maximum pressure against Iran, for example, regarding Iranian oil sales to China,” a senior US official said.

China buys more than 80% of Iran’s oil exports, making it Tehran’s main source of crude revenue. Any significant reduction in those purchases would sharply increase economic strain on Iran and could affect its calculations in nuclear talks with Washington.

Feb 15, 2026, 09:35 GMT

Iranian lawmaker questions why internet was not cut sooner

An Iranian lawmaker has questioned why authorities did not cut internet access earlier during unrest on January 8-9.

Hamid Rasaei, a Tehran MP, said it should be examined why the internet was not disconnected sooner during the nationwide protests that month.

During the January 2026 unrest, authorities imposed a near-total internet shutdown and disrupted access to satellite service Starlink, halting the flow of information.

Feb 15, 2026, 08:43 GMT

Rooftop chants echo across Iran after global solidarity rallies

Nighttime chants were reported across multiple Iranian cities on Saturday, hours after mass rallies by Iranians abroad drew large crowds in support of protesters inside the country.

Videos and eyewitness accounts received by Iran International showed residents chanting anti-government slogans from rooftops and windows in cities including Tehran, Karaj, Rasht, Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashhad and Kermanshah.

Slogans included “Death to the dictator” and “Death to Khamenei,” as well as monarchist chants.

Feb 15, 2026, 08:31 GMT

Islamic Republic does not represent Iranians, Canadian minister tells Toronto rally

Canada’s Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Michael Parsa said the Islamic Republic does not represent the people of Iran, speaking at a large rally in Toronto.

Parsa described the widespread turnout of Iranians at demonstrations across major global cities as a powerful signal to international institutions, saying it shows Tehran lacks popular legitimacy.

“We will never abandon you,” he told the crowd.

Feb 15, 2026, 08:25 GMT

Iran knows it cannot win a war with US, reformist pundit says

Iranian reformist figure Sadegh Zibakalam said the Islamic Republic understands it would not prevail in a military confrontation with the United States, arguing that war would bring little beyond destruction of the country’s infrastructure and industry.

He said officials see a deal as preferable to conflict, warning that if nuclear negotiations fail, the alternative could be “very, very horrific,” adding that a war would not necessarily lead to the system’s collapse but could produce “something very terrible” for Iran.

Feb 15, 2026, 08:22 GMT

Iran parliament security committee chief travels to Saudi Arabia

Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, has traveled to Saudi Arabia, Iranian state media reported.

IRNA said three committee members and a foreign ministry parliamentary affairs official are part of the delegation, describing the visit as a parliamentary diplomacy effort aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation between the two legislatures.

Feb 15, 2026, 08:21 GMT

11 detained health workers have been released - Iran Medical Council

The head of Iran’s Medical Council, Mohammad Raiszadeh, said 33 medical workers had been detained during the protests and that 11 of them have so far been released.

Raiszadeh said detaining medical staff for carrying out their professional duties is a “red line” for the organization, amid separate reports alleging security pressure on health workers and violence against protesters in hospitals.

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