Iran’s leadership in its ‘final days and weeks’: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as anti-govt protests rage on

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram Hours after the United States announced 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Iran , German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Tuesday said the Iranian regime is in its “final days and weeks”. Iran is facing one of the deadliest waves of unrest in years, as nationwide protests are stretching into their third week . “I assume that we are now witnessing the final days and weeks of this regime. When a regime can only maintain power through violence, then it is effectively at its end. The population is now rising up against this regime,” news agency Reuters quoted Merz as saying to reporters during a two-day trip to India. Merz added that Germany was in touch with the United States and other European countries like the United Kingdom and France about the situation in Iran and ensure that “there can be a peaceful transition in Iran to a democratically legitimized government”. In the last few days, the United States, along with several other countries around the world, have urged the country’s government to stop its crackdown on protestors. After the Iranian currency - Rial collapsed, people took to the streets on December 28, 2025, to protest in response to soaring prices, eventually turning against the clerical rulers who have been in power since the Islamic Revolution back in 1979. Activists say protests have taken place in more than 180 cities spread all across the country. As of January 13, 2026, the Iranian government’s crackdown on protesters has resulted in deaths of over 2,000 people . According to the United States-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, more than 10,600 people have been reportedly detained in the last two weeks. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, US President Donald Trump said the Iranian government reached out to the United States to negotiate after he warned of possible action over the crackdown on protestors. Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

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