Protesters in Tehran massed on a key avenue in the northwest of the Iranian capital on Thursday in a major protest that is part of a nationwide movement sparked by anger over the cost of living, according to images on social media verified by AFP.
Crowds of people, as well as vehicles honking in support, filled a part of the vast Ayatollah Kashani Boulevard, images from Tehran showed.
Persian language TV channels based outside Iran and other social media outlets posted images of significant protests in other cities, including Tabriz in the north and the holy city of Mashhad in the east.
The protests appeared to be the most widespread since the movement began on December 28.
The son of the shah ousted by the 1979 revolution, Reza Pahlavi, who is based in the US, had called for mass actions on Thursday evening.
Other videos published of the protest on Kashani Boulevard in Tehran showed people chanting anti-government slogans including "death to the dictator".
People were also seen packing a major road in the Vakilabad district of Mashhad, home to one of Shiite Islam`s holiest shrines, in a video not verified by AFP.
Large protests also took place in the northern hub of Tabriz, where people chanted "long live Pahlavi", and the historic central city of Isfahan, according to other unverified social media videos.
Activists say that the protest movement is showing no sign of abating and is even growing in scale, despite a crackdown that has already left dozens dead, according to rights groups.

Comment :