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Defiant Elderly Woman’s Viral Video Becomes Rallying Image in Iran Crackdown

Independent monitors report nationwide shutdowns of internet access and international calls ordered by authorities.

Overview

  • The nighttime clip shows an elderly woman in Tehran shouting, “I’m not afraid. I’ve been dead for 47 years,” a line widely interpreted as a reference to the 1979 revolution.
  • Iranian-American activist Masih Alinejad shared the video on X, propelling it across global platforms and casting it as a stark expression of exhaustion with clerical rule.
  • Protests have stretched into a second week across multiple cities following calls for night demonstrations, including one from exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi.
  • Human-rights tallies vary: HRANA reports at least 42 killed and more than 2,270 arrested, while other accounts cite over 1,000 arrests and six killed in a single incident in Ilam province.
  • State media acknowledged unrest but blamed foreign “enemies,” and reporters note uncertainty over whether the red liquid on the woman’s face is blood or symbolic paint.