Nationwide Defiance: The "New Era" Uprising Shakes Regional Power to Its Core

By early January 2026, the slogans echoing through the streets had shifted from "bread and jobs" to "Death to the Dictator." The reach of the protests has been unprecedented, documented in over 190 cities and 340 specific locations. This geographical spread has stretched the regime's security apparatus thin, making it difficult for the Law Enforcement Command (LEC) and the Basij paramilitary to maintain control in multiple hotspots simultaneously.