NOTE TO STUDENTS: Read the “Background” below the questions and watch the videos under “Resources.”

1. The first paragraph of a news article should answer the questions who, what, where and when. List the who, what, where and when of this news item. (NOTE: The remainder of a news article provides details on the why and/or how.)

2. a) What is digital censorship?
b) How does digital censorship harm the Iranian people protesting?

3. How did a source in Tehran describe to CBS the crowds who turned out to protest the regime?

4. Who is Reza Pahlavi?

5. What warning did President Trump give the regime in Iran?

6. a) What do Iranian authorities do every time they expect significant protests by the people?
b) What social media sites are banned in Iran?

Consider the following:

Before the current uprising that began in late December 2025, the last major wave of mass protests in Iran was the Mahsa Amini (Woman, Life, Freedom) movement, which took place from September 2022 through early 2023.

While the current 2026 protests were triggered by an economic collapse, the 2022 movement was sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Jina Amini in the custody of the regime's "Morality Police."

It was widely described as the most significant challenge to the Islamic Republic since its inception in 1979, reaching all 31 provinces and over 130 cities.

The regime's crackdown was brutal, with human rights groups reporting over 550 deaths (including nearly 70 minors) and roughly 20,000 arrests.

Although the street protests eventually subsided by the spring of 2023 due to mass executions and arrests, the movement fundamentally changed Iranian society. Many women continued to engage in "everyday resistance" by refusing to wear the mandatory hijab in public despite new surveillance laws.

The current protests are seen as a "merging" of the grievances from 2022 (civil liberties/women's rights) with the raw desperation of the working class (economic survival). Unlike 2022, which was driven by the youth and middle class, the January 2026 uprising includes the traditional "Bazaar" merchant class and oil sector workers, which historically signals a much deeper threat to the regime's stability. (Gemini, Jan. 8)

Prior to the recent protests, the primary mass protest in Iran was the 2009 Green Movement, after a disputed presidential election in which incumbent was declared the winner in a landslide, leading millions of Iranians to take to the streets with the slogan, "Where is my vote?"

President Obama’s initial response was cautious, which led to significant criticism from Iranian protesters in Tehran, who were recorded chanting, "Obama, Obama — either with us or with them!" in direct appeal for U.S. support. The mass protests eventually died out. Many were killed and thousands were imprisoned for demonstrating against the regime. In 2022, former President Obama admitted that his decision to stay relatively quiet in 2009 was a "mistake," stating that the U.S. should have "shined a spotlight" on the courage of the protesters.

Follow this story in the coming days.

Pray for the people of Iran.