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A video circulating on social media shows family and friends of Sina Haghnashenas—a 25-year-old florist from Gorgan—performing a traditional “dance of mourning” at his memorial ceremony. Reports say Haghnashenas was killed by government forces during protests in Gorgan on 18 Dey.
Several European carriers have canceled or curtailed flights scheduled for Saturday to parts of the Middle East—including Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—citing heightened regional security risks tied to escalating Iran-related tensions. Reuters reported KLM has suspended services to destinations including Tel Aviv and Gulf/Saudi routes (including Dubai and Saudi cities such as Riyadh and Dammam) and is avoiding flying over wide swaths of regional airspace, while other airlines have rerouted or paused specific routes as the risk backdrop worsened. Separate reporting said Air France and KLM canceled some Israel and Gulf flights through at least Sunday, and the Lufthansa Group has also tightened operations—restricting some services to daylight hours and avoiding certain air corridors—underscoring growing airline caution over the region’s security outlook.
A group of Iranians gathered on Saturday outside the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen to support Iran’s protest movement, with demonstrators chanting slogans including “King Reza Pahlavi,” according to the report—another sign of sustained diaspora mobilization in Europe.
Iran International reported that Erfan Abdi-Pour, a 23-year-old protester, was killed in Ariashahr by Islamic Republic forces, and said a video it received shows him and is being shared as a memorial to his death during the nationwide protests. The report said Abdi-Pour was buried in section 329, and noted the clip—showing him riding a motorcycle and singing “Baroon Oomad o Yadam Daad”—has evoked memories of Hamidreza Rouhi for many viewers.
Iranians living in Auckland, New Zealand, held a gathering on Friday to honor those killed in Iran’s protest movement, responding to Empress Farah Pahlavi’s call for a “national mourning” observance. The rally was framed as a memorial for the victims of what participants described as Iran’s “national revolution,” highlighting continued diaspora mobilization well beyond Europe and North America.
In an interview with Germany’s ARD, Prince Reza Pahlavi said he is ready to help “guide the transition,” remove the current system, and bring the process to completion in hopes it leads to a secular democracy in Iran through free elections. Addressing critics who warn he could become an authoritarian leader, he pointed to living for decades in Western democracies and stressed the importance of institutions and safeguards to prevent power concentration, fight corruption, and ensure transparency. Pahlavi said he is not running for any office and is seeking no position, describing his role instead as a catalyst for change and a “father of the nation” and “servant of the people,” while arguing that the country’s future should be decided only at the ballot box—adding that those who truly believe in democracy should not fear elections. He also said he believes he has broad popular backing, citing chants and graffiti bearing his name across Iran.
Reports say Majid Astir, a 25-year-old resident of the Ab-Motor neighborhood, was killed on the evening of 19 Dey after being shot directly by government forces on Pirouzi Street in Tehran. The account says Astir was trying to assist another young man who had been wounded when he was hit in the neck and died hours later; he worked at a shop near Bagh-e Sepahsalar. The report adds that his father is a taxi driver in Tehran and that Astir had two brothers—one of whom died of a heart attack two years ago—leaving only one surviving brother.
Iranian officials have sharpened their rhetoric as a U.S. carrier strike group moves toward the region, signaling that Tehran may be weighing Washington’s military posture more heavily than its diplomatic messaging. Reuters reported that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers are expected to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days, while a senior Iranian official warned that any attack—regardless of scale—would be treated as “all-out war.”
In an interview with CNN, Prince Reza Pahlavi said the protests in Iran amounted to a “real revolution,” but argued the Islamic Republic has responded by launching a war against its own citizens. He claimed some regime security and military personnel have failed to report for duty, and alleged the authorities killed several police officers who refused to take part in the crackdown. Pahlavi said Iranians want him to convey that their struggle is not only for themselves but “for humanity and freedom worldwide,” and added that if President Donald Trump follows through on his warning that repression would face a “very hard hit,” it could create another opening for protesters to “finish the job.”
Reports say Mohammadhasan Khazaei, an 18-year-old resident of Fardis, was wounded by direct fire from security forces on 19 Dey and died on 22 Dey after two days in hospital. His funeral on 24 Dey in Meshkin Dasht was reportedly held under heavy restrictions.
Iran International reported that Hamed Araqi, a sports photographer and a photographer for Peykan FC, was arrested in Karaj on the evening of 19 Dey 1404—the second night of Prince Reza Pahlavi’s protest call—and that his whereabouts and condition remain unknown. Sources also said the Iranian Sports Writers and Photographers Association has not taken steps to follow up on his case. Araqi has more than 13 years of experience in sports photography.
An eyewitness told Iran International that despite a heavy security presence, large crowds took to the streets in Semnan on 18–19 Dey following protest calls, and said plainclothes agents mingled with demonstrators to identify individuals. The witness said the crowd grew on the night of 19 Dey, and security forces opened fire on protesters and families without distinguishing age or gender, while covered buses were brought in to transport detainees and the wounded. The account also claimed that during clashes, the courthouse and the Friday prayer leader’s office were set on fire and several government vehicles were damaged; on the second night, armed forces allegedly entered with heavy weapons, including machine guns,s and even fired toward people watching from inside homes—shooting at windows—amid reports of mass arrests. These claims have not been independently verified.