Georgian demonstrators watch Iran closely as their own protests grind on

While thousands of Iranians take to the streets daily demanding the downfall of the Islamic Republic, people in the small European country of Georgia, along Russia’s southern border, have been protesting at various levels of intensity for over a year following disputed parliamentary elections in 2024.

Everyday Georgians who are still braving freezing temperatures and allegations of violence by the authorities are looking at their peers fighting for democracy in Iran and seeing their own struggle playing out against a corrupt and unpopular regime.

“When you walk through the demonstrations every day in Tbilisi, all people talk about is Iran. The heated debate over it shows how much it matters and how optimism is out on the streets due to developments despite controversies,” Tinatin Khidasheli, former defense minister of Georgia, told Fox News Digital.

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“Developments in Iran resonate in a very human way: if people can challenge a far more despotic and violent regime, it reinforces the belief that resistance in Georgia is not futile,” Khidasheli added.

Mass protests began shortly after the pro-Russia Georgian Dream party claimed victory in elections in October 2024 and halted Georgia’s efforts to join the European Union.

Georgians have long desired to move closer to the West and join the European Union, with opinion polls showing overwhelming support for joining the bloc. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze halted Tbilisi’s accession path to join the EU shortly after taking power, sparking anger from many.

Tbilisi’s main Rustaveli Avenue has been crowded with protesters chanting and blocking traffic, outraged at the ruling party pulling Georgia away from Europe and closer to a Russian-oriented foreign policy.

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Erekle Koplatadze, a 33-year-old from Tbilisi, has been participating in protests almost daily since November 2024. Koplatadze, who was detained for six days for allegedly blocking a road while protesting in November 2025, told Fox News Digital that there has been a feeling of solidarity with the protests in Iran since people rose up in December against economic mismanagement and regime corruption. 

“You will see many Lion and Sun flags (Iran’s national flag until the 1979 Islamic Revolution) in front of Georgia’s Parliament. And there have been protests in front of the Iranian Embassy in Tbilisi,” Koplatadze said.

Koplatadze said the news coming out of Iran and the regime’s brutal violence employed against innocent people has shaken many Georgians in the crowd and a shared sense of empathy has emerged.

“I don’t remember such a big protest in Tbilisi in support of a foreign nation except for Ukraine,” he said.

Ana Riaboshenko, co-founder of the “Initiative Culture For Democracy” who attends protests on a regular basis, told Fox News Digital that developments in Iran directly affect Georgia, as well as all the countries in the region. 

“Its transformation from a terrorist state to a democratic government will significantly change the situation and indeed contribute substantially to the global power balance and economy.  A particularly positive outcome is expected with the collapse of the Russian-Iranian partnership.”

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Riaboshenko pointed out that Russian-backed Georgian Dream representatives positioned themselves as partners with Tehran and bilateral relations and cooperation have increased since the rigged elections of 2024.

Civic IDEA, a Georgian NGO, issued a report in July 2025 detailing how Iranian businessmen and companies use Georgia as a strategic transit point to evade international sanctions and channel funds back to Iran. 

Nearly 13,000 Iranian companies are registered in Georgia, according to the Civic IDEA report.

Marika Mikiashvili, Foreign Secretary of party Droa, part of the largest democratic alliance in Georgia, spoke to Fox News Digital and said while Georgians are in awe and very inspired by the bravery of Iranians, their struggle is a warning sign as much as it is profoundly inspiring.

“Many protesters see Iran as a cautionary tale of what happens when a consolidating dictatorship isn’t defeated soon enough,” Mikiashvili warned.

There have also been no statements of support for the pro-democracy protests from the Georgian Dream government or condemnation of security force human rights violations against innocent people.

As the Georgian Dream government entrenched itself in power, it implemented harsh anti-demonstration laws to crack down on dissent and used disproportionate force and other brutal tactics to squash the unrest.

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Human Rights Watch documented numerous laws that interfered with Georgians’ rights to peacefully assemble, including steep fines for protest-related violations and abusive police tactics as thousands of people have been arbitrarily detained.

Since Georgian Dream’s election, 600 people have been arbitrarily detained, 300 protesters were tortured or subjected to inhumane treatment, 1,000 citizens received fines for political opinions, and 400 journalists have been arrested, beaten, and harassed, according to Transparency International Georgia, a non-governmental organization with the goal of combating corruption in Georgia.

Madonna declares ‘I stand with Iran’ as protesters face brutal regime crackdown

Pop singer Madonna posted on Instagram Friday that she stands with Iran as the Iranian people protest Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“I cannot think of a more relevant phrase than this as we enter the year of the Fire Horse! As I reflect on my time in Morocco over the holidays I think of all the people in Iran who are fighting a much needed revolution and willing to die for what they believe in,” the 67-year-old singer shared in an Instagram post.

Madonna’s comments came amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, and as the Iranian people rise up against Khamenei’s brutal regime.

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The protests stemmed from the cloistered Middle Eastern country’s economic crisis, which has become increasingly dire as the value of the Rial, Iran’s currency, has plummeted.

The regime has cracked down hard on the protesters, with state-sanctioned killings estimated to be in the thousands. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency announced that 1,847 of the dead were protesters and 135 were members of Iran’s security forces. Other reports say the death toll is more than 3,000 people, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

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Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been weighing military action to stop the slaughter of civilians. Iranian state television aired a vile threat against President Donald Trump earlier this week, referencing the 47th president’s near assassination while on the campaign trail in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024.

As for whether military action is imminent, Trump remained noncommittal, reiterating that he is monitoring the situation.

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Madonna explained further that she often takes her freedom for granted.

“We take so much for granted. Myself included. The freedom to travel the world. To wear what I want to wear. To ride a horse across the desert. To speak freely and not be silenced by punishment, torture, and possibly death. To sing. To dance. To choose my spiritual path, not someone else’s. The women of Iran do not have this freedom. I stand with them. The people of Iran have not known freedom for centuries. I cannot claim to truly know the suffering that has been endured, but my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Iran.”

“The time is now. Hold Tight! I stand with Iran. Let their voices be heard,” she concluded.

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Trump credits halted Iran executions for delaying military strikes

President Donald Trump signaled why he’s held off on military strikes on Iran amid nationwide protests after claiming the country had canceled executions for hundreds of Iranians. 

When asked if Arab and Israeli officials “convinced” him to not strike Iran, Trump told reporters Friday he convinced himself and cited the canceled hangings. Trump also expressed similar sentiments on social media Friday. 

“I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Friday. 

The statement echoes what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday about the canceled executions. She maintained that all options remained on the table when it comes to dealing with Iran.

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“What I will say with respect to Iran is that the president and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences,” Leavitt told reporters Thursday. 

“And the president received a message as he revealed to all of you and the whole world yesterday that the killing and the executions will stop. And the president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted.” 

It’s unclear from Trump’s post if he was referring to the 800 executions that were already canceled or whether there have been two consecutive days when 800 executions have been called off. 

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on how many executions have been canceled or whether military strikes are completely off the table now. 

Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations for additional comment but did not immediately receive a reply.

Protests broke out across Iran in December 2025 in response to the country’s economic hardships as well as a referendum against Iran’s theocratic regime.

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More than 2,000 people — including at least nine children — have died in the recent protests, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Tuesday. 

Legendary basketball coach Bruce Pearl slams anti-Israel college protesters going silent on Iran

Legendary college basketball coach Bruce Pearl blasted far-left college protesters who’ve gone silent on the unrest in Iran after their outcry against Israel on Friday’s episode of the “Ruthless” podcast.

“Right now, you’ve got thousands of Iranians — women, men, they’re out there in the streets just asking for freedom and not have to live under this Islamic extremism insanity right now,” Pearl said on Friday’s installment of the “Ruthless” podcast.

“Where are the college protesters? Where are they?” Pearl asked. “On every Ivy League campus they ought to be ashamed of themselves for not being out there in the thousands.”

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The former Auburn Tigers head coach spoke about attending a rally this week in Washington, D.C., in support of female athletes as the Supreme Court heard arguments in a landmark case challenging trans athletes competing in women’s sports, telling the “Ruthless” hosts he was hoping there’d also be rallies in support of the Iranian protesters, which never materialized at the nation’s capital.

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“We’re afraid to teach. We’re afraid to have hard conversations,” Pearl said. “Because, at a university, we’ve got to teach both sides to this. Wait a second — you know what — sometimes there are both sides. Good versus evil. Right versus wrong. ‘But we want to be institutionally neutral.’ Really? It doesn’t work!”

He praised President Donald Trump, saying, “There’s never been a better president in my mind in the history of our country, especially with what he had inherited.”

“This world was a dangerous place. He’s just trying to make it safer,” Pearl said. “The Middle East is safer right now. Iran’s got a chance to be free. Assad is no longer in Syria. Hamas and those Gazans are no longer in prison. We’ve got a fighting chance here.”

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Pearl, who is Jewish and an outspoken supporter of Israel, said he gets “a lot of flak” for becoming more vocal with his beliefs, hearing from online trolls who tell him, “Go back to Israel.”

“I love this country. I’d give my life for this country,” Pearl said. “But at the same time, I can still love my Jewish ancestral homeland. I can still love my faith. It doesn’t make me less American. But it’s the argument you get.”

Catch the latest from “Ruthless” on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on YouTube and all podcast platforms.

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Exiled Iranian crown prince reveals 6-step plan to exert pressure on Tehran’s regime

Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi unveiled Friday a 6-step plan to exert pressure on the regime, which he declared “will fall, not if, but when.” 

“My brave compatriots still holding the line with their broken bodies but unbreakable will, need your urgent help right now. Make no mistake, however, the Islamic Republic is close to collapse,” Pahlavi declared.  

“Ali Khamenei and his thugs know this. That’s why they are lashing out like a wounded animal, desperate to cling to power,” he continued. “The people have not retreated. Their determination has made one thing clear. They are not merely rejecting this regime. They are demanding a credible new path forward. They have called for me to lead.” 

Pahlavi said he has a comprehensive plan for an orderly transition and asked the international community to do six things, starting with protecting the Iranian people “by degrading the regime’s repressive capacity, including targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard leadership and its command-and-control infrastructure.” 

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“Second, deliver and sustain maximum economic pressure on the regime, block their assets worldwide, target and dismantle their fleet of ghost [oil] tankers,” he said. 

“Third, break through the regime’s information blockade by enabling unrestricted internet access. Deploy Starlink and other secure communications tools widely across Iran and conduct cyber operations to disable the regime’s ability to shut down the internet. Fourth, hold the regime accountable by expelling its diplomats from your capitals and pursue legal enforcement actions against those responsible for crimes against humanity,” Pahlavi continued. 

“Fifth, demand the immediate release of all political prisoners. Six, prepare for a democratic transition in Iran by committing to recognize a legitimate transitional government when the moment comes,” he concluded.

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Pahlavi’s remarks came as President Donald Trump seemed to remain ambivalent about the possibility of Pahlavi taking over the country if the Islamic regime were to fall. 

“He seems very nice, but I don’t know how he’d play within his own country,” Trump told Reuters during an interview on Wednesday. “And we really aren’t up to that point yet. 

“I don’t know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me,” he added. 

When Pahlavi was asked Friday by a reporter about how he plans to win Trump over, he said, “President Trump has said that it’s up to the Iranian people to decide, and I totally agree.”

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“I’ve always said it’s for the Iranian people to decide. And I think the Iranian people have already demonstrated in great numbers who it is that they want them to lead to this transition,” he added. “So I’m confident that I have the support of my compatriot. And as for the international leaders to assess the fact on the ground and see who is capable of doing that. I believe I can, and I have the Iranian people’s support.” 

‘Worthless piece of crap’: GOP blasts DNC chief for equating Trump’s America with Iran’s repressive regime

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin is getting hammered by Republicans for comparing the United States under President Donald Trump to Iran’s Islamic theocracy, accusing both of showing “authoritarian behavior.”

The comments from Martin came amid protests in Minneapolis and across the nation in the wake of last week’s fatal shooting of a 37-year-old Minnesota woman and mother of three by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent and in the midst of a wave of massive demonstrations against Iran’s cleric-controlled government in recent weeks.

“From Tehran to my birthplace of Minneapolis, people are rising up against systems that wield violence without accountability. In Iran, brave protestors confront a far-right theocratic regime that crushes dissent and denies basic freedoms,” Martin wrote. 

The DNC chair, a former longtime Minnesota state party chair, first made the comparison in a social media post last Sunday.

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He added, “Here at home, tens of thousands are marching after the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good — demanding justice, transparency, and an end to an unchecked federal force that takes lives and tears families apart. Solidarity across borders means opposing authoritarian power everywhere and defending the right to live free from fear and state violence.”

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a top Trump ally in the Senate and a longtime proponent of a muscular U.S. foreign policy, bashed Martin.

“Number one, Ken Martin is a worthless piece of crap,” Graham charged in an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity.” “Can you imagine this guy fighting for freedom? To compare President Trump and the Trump regime to the ayatollah means you got the worst case of Trump derangement syndrome in the world. Go to hell.” 

The DNC chair, reacting to Graham’s attack, claimed the senator is “a sniveling coward and a Trump bootlicker who hasn’t had a strongly held conviction in decades. I will wear his condemnation as a badge of honor.”

And in an MS NOW interview earlier this week, Martin argued that “people are very concerned that basic rights and human rights in this country are being violated by its own government … this is now who we should be as America, but it’s unfortunately who we’ve become under this administration.”

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But Republican National Committee national press secretary Kiersten Pels claimed Friday in a statement to Fox News Digital that “this is a desperate ploy from a man who drove the DNC into financial ruin and political irrelevancy. Ken Martin is so unhinged that he’s comparing Tehran to Minneapolis and encouraging violent obstruction of federal law enforcement.”

Democrats are energized, thanks in large part to their pushback against Trump and his sweeping and unprecedented moves in his first year back in the White House. And Martin’s controversial comments appear to be getting a thumbs up from his own party.

“I think everyone is giving Ken a pass because he is from Minnesota and Minnesota has not been able to catch a break recently,” a DNC committee member who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely told Fox News Digital. “So this is very raw, very personal, and very hurtful for him.”

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Asked about Martin’s comparison, DNC committee member and longtime Democratic strategist Maria Cardona told Fox News Digital, “Ken Martin is not comparing Iran’s autocracy to Trump’s America. He is comparing Iran’s autocracy to Trump’s autocracy, specifically the absolute immunity Trump has given these lawless ICE agents, their lack of training, their being hired without background checks, and the $50,000 bonuses that guarantee that those ICE agents out there have no interest in and have no idea how to follow the law and how to properly and lawfully track down violent criminal undocumented immigrants.”

And veteran Democratic consultant Joe Caiazzo, asked about Martin’s comments, charged that “from the rhetoric deployed to policies enacted, and executive orders issued, it’s clear Donald Trump would love to be a dictator.”

A source at the DNC told Fox News Digital, “everyone is supporting the general gist of what he is saying.”

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The conservative-leaning Wall Street Journal editorial board, in an opinion piece, criticized Martin.

“Overwrought rhetoric on domestic affairs is one thing. Yoking a false image of U.S. authoritarianism to the freedom struggle in Iran is morally obtuse. It’s a slur against his own country,” the board wrote in an opinion piece. “It also undermines the Iranian people, who count on the U.S. and call desperately for its help, to say that America is yet another murderous tyranny, comparable to their own. Mr. Martin essentially told Iranians that the U.S. is on the side of their regime.”

After Martin’s comparison sparked fiery backlash on social media, he doubled down.

“If comparing the U.S. to Iran makes you angry, ask why. Killing protesters. Crushing dissent. Kidnapping and disappearing legal citizens. Ignoring courts. Threatening critics. Terrorizing communities. That’s authoritarian behavior—anywhere. If you’re rushing to defend it, maybe the problem isn’t the comparison. Trump keeps pushing it, Americans aren’t buying it, and Minneapolis won’t be silent,” Martin said in an additional post on X.

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The trio of national polls released this week indicated that a majority of Americans give a thumbs down to how ICE is carrying out Trump’s push for the mass deportation of millions of undocumented migrants. But there’s a wide partisan divide, with Republicans supportive of ICE and the president.

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Cardona emphasized that “Trump and ICE are losing public opinion over this, as a majority of Americans know that this should not happen in the United States of America.”

And Martin, in his appearance on MS NOW, argued that “if Donald Trump thinks what he’s doing in Minneapolis is going to improve his poll numbers, I think he has another thing coming.”

An ICE agent shot and killed Good last week during a federal enforcement operation in south Minneapolis. Federal officials have said agents were attempting to make arrests when the woman tried to use her vehicle as a weapon against officers, prompting an ICE agent to fire in self-defense.

Top Democrats, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, criticized the federal account of the incident and rejected the claim that the officer acted in self-defense. Minnesota has since sued the Trump administration, claiming the immigration enforcement surge in the state is “unlawful” and “unprecedented.”

Good’s death sparked widespread protests in Minneapolis, where thousands of ICE agents are now dispatched, and across the nation, with demonstrators calling for changes to federal immigration enforcement.

Trump on Thursday warned that if Minnesota’s political leaders don’t stop what he argued were “professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place.”

Meanwhile, in Iran, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports at least 2,677 people have been killed in the protests. Other reports say the death toll is over 3,000, with the real number likely to be significantly higher. 

The protests against Iran’s dire economic conditions, which have rapidly escalated in recent days, are seen as some of the most violent since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that installed the current system of clerical rule.