By Richard Thompson

Protests escalated across Iran on Monday as demonstrators confronted security forces in Tehran and Mashhad, with authorities deploying tear gas amid strikes and street clashes, according to reports.

An Iranian opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, reported that a large crowd of demonstrators marched along Jomhouri (Republic) Street before moving into nearby areas, including Naser Khosrow Street and Istanbul Square in Tehran.

Central parts of Tehran turned into flashpoints as protesters and regime security forces engaged in running street clashes near major government and commercial areas.

Police units fired tear gas and used batons to break up crowds in the city center, according to accounts from the scene.

Demonstrators responded with chants of "Shameless! Shameless!" and pushed back, forcing security forces to retreat from several areas.

Nationwide strikes and protests by merchants continued across Iran, with shops shuttered in major commercial hubs including Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, Lalehzar Street, Naser Khosrow and Istanbul Square. Demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans calling for the downfall of the ruling clerics and demanding the leadership step aside.

Video circulating online showed protesters inside a major shopping complex in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar chanting, "Have no fear, we are all together," while hurling insults at security forces and calling them shameless.

Additional footage from Tehran’s bazaar districts showed crowds chanting "Death to the dictator," calling on merchants to shut down their shops and demanding President Masoud Pezeshkian step aside, as voices in the video said businesses had closed in protest.

Other video clips captured demonstrations across different parts of Tehran, including footage showing protesters attacking and damaging the car of a cleric aligned with the regime.

In another video, an Iran International reporter narrated scenes from the protests with subtitles, describing clashes between demonstrators and security forces as unrest spread through the capital.

By Monday afternoon, the unrest had spread to the northeastern city of Mashhad, where demonstrators gathered in central squares and clashed with riot police who moved in with batons. Protesters pushed back as confrontations escalated.

In another report, the IRGC-run Fars News Agency wrote, "Eyewitnesses reported to Fars that among the crowd of about 200 people, there were small cells of five to 10 individuals chanting slogans that went beyond economic demands."

"At the same time as these gatherings, Maryam Rajavi called for the ‘formation of a chain of protests,’" the report continued. "An informed source at the Ministry of Intelligence said the pattern was in line with what it described as an effort to turn economic grievances into political instability."

Iran International also reported on the protests, saying Pezeshkian said Monday he has instructed his interior minister to open talks with representatives of the protesters, marking his first official response to the unrest.

The protests, which continued into the night, gained international attention, with former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett calling for protesters to rise up in a video posted to X.

"The Iranian people have a glorious past, and they can have an even more glorious future," Bennett said. "That future depends on every one of you."

Also weighing in was former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said it was no surprise Iranians are taking to the streets amid a collapsing economy he blamed on the regime’s extremism and corruption.

"It’s no surprise that the people of Iran are taking to the streets to protest the collapsing economy," Pompeo said. "The Iranian regime has ruined what should be a vibrant and prosperous country with its extremism and corruption.

"The people of Iran deserve a representative government that serves their interests — not those of the mullahs and their cronies," he added.

The NCRI claimed earlier in the day that security forces linked to the IRGC were placed on heightened alert in Tehran, with additional units on standby in nearby provinces. The claims could not be independently verified.

In a statement, Maryam Rajavi, NCRI president-elect, said the protests reflected public anger over high prices, inflation and political repression, and called on Iranians to support the striking merchants.

The Iranian rial has fallen to a new record low against the U.S. dollar. Official data show year-on-year inflation reached 52.6% in December, while average annual inflation was 42.2%.

Videos circulating online show chants against government officials and growing frustration among merchants, a group traditionally viewed as a key pillar of regime support.

By Hannah Pantos

A controversial new legislative proposal aimed at banning so called “chemtrails” has taken a step forward in the South Carolina Senate, where supporters backed language designed to restrict activities the bill describes as atmospheric chemical dispersion.

Proponents say the measure would prohibit the intentional injection, release, dispersion, or emission of chemicals or substances into the air with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of sunlight — language similar to so called weather modification bans that have been introduced in other states. According to social media summaries of the proposed amendment, it reflects growing constituent concern about aerial phenomena and climate intervention.

Legislative Progress and Language

The bill’s advance came through a Senate committee vote this week, moving the proposal closer to full chamber consideration. Supporters argue the measure will offer clarity and protection for residents who worry that weather modification or atmospheric chemical release could occur without oversight. Critics, however, have seized on the proposal’s wording and implications: because the language broadly covers the release of substances meant to influence weather or sunlight, some opponents say its technical scope could be far reaching and vague. They note it’s difficult for a state to regulate flights or airborne activity that is federally controlled, such as commercial or military aircraft.

National Context

South Carolina’s effort is part of a larger trend across multiple state legislatures. At least eight states, including Florida and Tennessee, have introduced or enacted laws targeting geoengineering related activities that some lawmakers and constituents link — correctly or not — to long debunked “chemtrail” conspiracy theories.

In Florida, for example, lawmakers passed a measure this year banning the release of substances into the atmosphere with the intent to affect weather or sunlight, with potential criminal penalties for violators.

Scientific Reality vs. Legislative Action

Experts in atmospheric science have emphasized that “chemtrails” — the idea that governments or other entities deliberately spray harmful chemicals at high altitude — are a debunked conspiracy theory. The white streaks seen behind aircraft, known as contrails, are formed by water vapor condensing in cold, moist upper atmosphere conditions and pose no documented risk of chemical dispersal or climate manipulation.

Scientific agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reaffirm that contrails are normal byproducts of aviation and are not evidence of secret chemical programs.

Political and Public Reaction

The bill has sparked debate among lawmakers and residents alike, with supporters arguing it responds to public concern and opponents questioning its scientific basis and enforceability. Some commentators have joked about the legislation’s practical implications, suggesting it could inadvertently interfere with everyday aviation — a point reflected in online public commentary.

As the measure moves toward further legislative consideration, analysts say it highlights how misinformation and public perception can shape policy discussions, even when the scientific community dismisses the underlying premise.