Tehran – On January 9, 2026, anti-regime protesters in Tehran launched a bold attack on a large column of Islamic Republic security forces, beating officers, disarming them, and setting their cars and motorcycles on fire. Video footage circulating on social media shows chaotic scenes in central Tehran, with protesters overwhelming the convoy, seizing weapons, and torching vehicles amid chants against the regime.

The incident, one of the most direct confrontations in recent months, reflects growing defiance against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s rule, fueled by economic hardship, water crises, and political repression. Eyewitnesses reported the protesters, numbering in the hundreds, used improvised weapons to overpower the forces before dispersing. Security reinforcements later arrived, but the initial rout highlights eroding loyalty within the regime’s apparatus.

This clash follows reports of Khamenei’s contingency plan to flee to Moscow if unrest escalates. The regime has not commented, but state media downplayed the event as “thuggery.” Opposition groups hailed it as a sign of weakening control.