Thousands Rally in Chicago for Regime Change in Iran

Protesters urge President Trump to increase pressure on Iran as tensions rise over nuclear program.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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Hundreds of Iranian-Americans and supporters rallied in Chicago's downtown as part of a Global Day of Action, protesting Iran's brutal crackdown that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people demanding regime change. Human rights observers estimate more than 7,000 Iranian protesters have been killed in recent weeks during and following massive rallies. Protesters called on President Trump to use U.S. pressure to force a regime change in Iran.

Why it matters

The protests in Iran have become a major international issue, with demonstrators in cities around the world calling for an end to the country's authoritarian government. The Chicago rally was part of a coordinated global effort to draw attention to the violent suppression of the protests and pressure world leaders to take action.

The details

On Saturday, hundreds of Iranian-Americans and supporters gathered along Chicago's Michigan Avenue to join the Global Day of Action, a worldwide protest against Iran's crackdown on demonstrators seeking regime change. Human rights groups estimate that more than 7,000 protesters have been killed in recent weeks during and following the massive rallies in Iran. Protesters in Chicago called on President Trump to increase U.S. pressure on Iran, as tensions rise over the country's nuclear program.

  • The Global Day of Action took place on Saturday, February 15, 2026.
  • In recent weeks, thousands of protesters have been killed in Iran during and following massive rallies demanding regime change.

The players

Pegah Piri

A rally organizer in Chicago who spoke about the mass killings and genocide happening in Iran due to the government's crackdown on protesters.

Reza Pahlavi

The son of the former Iranian leader who fled the country in 1979 when religious leaders seized power, and who called for the Global Day of Action.

President Trump

The U.S. President whom protesters in Chicago called on to increase pressure on Iran, as tensions rise over the country's nuclear program.

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What they’re saying

“The mass killing and the genocide that's happening there, simply because people are asking for their basic human rights.”

— Pegah Piri, Rally Organizer (Fox32Chicago)

“Our request is for President Trump. People are dying and they're being executed right now. Whoever is being held in the prisons. So we need that action ASAP to save lives.”

— Pegah Piri, Rally Organizer (Fox32Chicago)

“We'll see if we can get a deal with them. And if we can't, we'll have to go to Phase Two. Phase Two will be very tough for them. I'm not looking for that.”

— President Trump (Fox32Chicago)

What’s next

The U.S. is sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East in an attempt to force Iran back to the bargaining table over its nuclear program.

The takeaway

The protests in Iran have become a global issue, with demonstrators around the world calling for an end to the country's authoritarian government. The Chicago rally was part of a coordinated effort to draw attention to the violent suppression of the protests and pressure world leaders to take action to support the Iranian people's demands for regime change.