Fact Check: Video Claiming Millions of Pro-Iran Government Protesters Is False

January 15, 2026 | 12:20 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A video claiming millions of Iranians were protesting in support of the the country's government circulated on Instagram [archive] and TikTok on January 12, 2026. This content circulated amidst massive protests by Iranians in recent days. The protests were sparked by economic issues such as high food and fuel prices and high inflation.

The video shows a group of people dressed in black marching through the streets of a city. Some of them are waving Iranian flags. The content includes the caption: "Gelombang massa dalam jumlah besar memenuhi jalan-jalan utama di berbagai provinsi di Iran pada hari ini. Demonstrasi besar-besaran yang diikuti oleh jutaan orang tersebut digelar sebagai bentuk protes terhadap aksi kerusuhan bersenjata yang sempat terjadi di beberapa wilayah negara tersebut" (Large crowds filled the main roads of various provinces in Iran today. These massive protests, attended by millions of people, were held in protest against the armed unrest that has occurred in several regions of the country).

However, does the video really show pro-government protesters in Iran?

FACT CHECK

Tempo verified the content using direct observation, artificial intelligence (AI) content detection tools, and information from credible sources. The results showed that although there were protests in support of the Iranian government, the video was artificially created.

The circulating video shows several anomalies. First, the flags flying are slightly different from the official Iranian flag. The Iranian flag is green, white, and red with a symbol of four crescent moons and a sword forming the monogram of Allah. However, in the circulating video, the crescent moon symbol is not present on the flag.

The second oddity was the figures of the protesters who looked frozen, not moving naturally as in a protest.

Analysis using the imitation content detection tool AI OR NOT concluded that the content contained AI elements with a 96 percent probability. Meanwhile, the Hive Moderation tool found an 82.6 percent probability that the video was AI-generated.

Two Camps Took to the Streets in Iran

Since November 28, 2025, Iranians, including Generation Z, have held massive protests demanding the resignation of the ruling regime in Iran. The main cause of the protests was economic hardship and rising prices following the plummeting value of the currency against the US dollar due to US sanctions and the war with Israel.

Extreme price and exchange rate fluctuations have crippled the sale of imported goods, preventing both sellers and buyers from transacting. Protests erupted around 10 universities, including the University of Tehran, Sharif University of Technology, and Isfahan University of Technology, while small business owners also joined the demonstrations.

Iran cut off internet access and international phone lines throughout the country on Thursday evening, January 8, 2026, due to the widespread demonstrations. CNN reported that 2,403 people died in the demonstrations on Tuesday, January 13.

That same day, pro-regime groups held counter-protests. According to a report by The Guardian, crowds gathered in Tehran to support the Iranian government against what they called American-Zionist terrorism. Despite the heightened tensions, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed on Monday that the situation was under control and anti-government protests were beginning to subside.

CONCLUSION

Tempo's verification concluded that the video's narrative, which claimed the protesters were pro-Iranian government, was false. While it was true that there were protests in Iran, some of the content was artificially generated.

TEMPO FACT CHECK TEAM

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