Statue of Iran's IRGC Commander Qasem Soleimani toppled as protests spread

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Footage shows the statue of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Qasem Soleimani is set on fire in Iran's Fars Province as demonstrations continued for an 11th night on Wednesday January 7, 2026. Soleimani was killed in a U.S. strike in January 2020 and is hailed as a national hero by the Islamic republic. Authorities cut internet access and telephone lines immediately as mass anti-government protests spread across the country, with Iranians shouting slogans against the ruling theocratic regime as anger mounts over a tanking economy and security crackdowns. Unrest has since spread nationwide amid deepening distress over economic hardships, including rocketing inflation driven by mismanagement and Western sanctions, and curbs on political and social freedoms. Iranian authorities have attempted to maintain a dual approach to the unrest over the government's handling of a sharp currency slide and rapidly rising prices, which sparked violent clashes between demonstrators and Iranian security forces.