Weekly Roundup from Kayhan Life: February 13th – February 20th

Iran’s “Global Day of Action”

Artist: Behnam Mohammadi

More than one million Iranians living abroad marked Valentine’s Day 2026 by taking to the streets in what organisers called a “Global Day of Action,” answering a call from Prince Reza Pahlavi and voicing support for Iran’s Lion-and-Sun revolution.

With the diaspora estimated at roughly five million, the reported participation was striking: organisers and local authorities put the combined total at over one million, setting new records for overseas Iranian demonstrations.

Munich became the focal point. German police estimated attendance at around 250,000, with demonstrators travelling from across Europe and remaining for hours despite sub-zero temperatures, sleet, and intermittent rain.

350,000 Iranians raised the Sun and Lion flag in Toronto, and another 350,000 in Los Angeles. Over 200,000 joined in Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane.  They were joined by their fellow Iranians in New Zealand, as did those across Asia, Europe, and the United Kingdom. In London alone, attendance was around 50,000.

Reports repeatedly highlighted disciplined, orderly crowds, with police praising cooperation and images circulating of protesters cleaning streets and distributing food and water.

While the Islamic Republic claims that opposition is marginal or fragmented, Iran’s “Global Day of Action” signalled a sharpening convergence—inside and outside Iran—around a shared demand: not reform, but rupture, and a credible plan anchored by recognised leadership.

Welcome to the Kayhan Life Week in Review

Kayhan Life reports Iran under intensifying pressure: the Pentagon is preparing for a sustained campaign if strikes are ordered, while Israel urges Washington to demand full dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran is hardening missile and nuclear sites as maritime enforcement tightens, with India seizing Iran-linked sanctioned tankers and Denmark detaining an Iran-flagged ship. In Munich, Reza Pahlavi said the regime is weakening and urged preparation for political change. The week also featured reports of a British national sentenced to 10 years for alleged espionage, a harsh internal crackdown on children, calls to designate the IRGC a terror group and pursue legal accountability, and an Oscar-nominated documentary spotlighting everyday courage in Iran.

►Ali Khamenei, 86, faces the gravest crisis of his 36-year rule: an embittered population, smashed nuclear and missile sites, and regional proxies in tatters.  As envoys seek to avert threatened U.S. airstrikes, will he bargain away missiles and resort to “heroic flexibility” to preserve the Islamic Republic?

Islamic Leader Khamenei, Implacable Foe of the United States

►U.S. officials told Reuters the Pentagon is preparing in case a Trump-ordered strike leads to weeks-long operations, which would be a higher-risk standoff than recent incidents.
EXCLUSIVE – US Military Preparing for Potentially Weeks-Long Iran Operations

►Netanyahu said he warned President Trump that any deal with Iran must dismantle its nuclear infrastructure, not just pause enrichment.

Netanyahu Says US Deal With Iran Must Dismantle Nuclear Infrastructure

►Satellite images show Tehran is repairing and strengthening missile and nuclear-related sites. They are adding shielding, burying or reinforcing tunnel entrances, and restoring bases damaged in earlier strikes.
Satellite Images Show Iran Repairing and Fortifying Sites amid US Tensions

►Pressure is also increasing at sea. India reportedly seized three U.S.-sanctioned tankers linked to Iran and has increased surveillance to stop illegal trade and ‘ghost’ shipping.
India Seizes Iran-Linked US-Sanctioned Tankers, Steps up Surveillance

►In Europe, Denmark detained an Iran-flagged container ship because of registration concerns.
Danish Authorities Hold Iran-Flagged Vessel Over Registration Concerns

►At the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 13, Reza Pahlavi said the Islamic Republic is vulnerable and urged the world to get ready for political change, insisting that U.S. military intervention could “save lives.”

 Reza Pahlavi, in Munich, Urges World to Precipitate Change in Iran

►Inside Iran, Kayhan Life reported verified accounts indicating children were killed, detained, or allegedly abducted during the January crackdown. The report cites teachers’ groups and families left without answers.
EXCLUSIVE: How Children Were Targeted During the January Crackdown in Iran

►A British couple detained in Iran was sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges after a brief hearing with no lawyer present.

UK Condemns 10-Year Sentence for British Couple in Iran.

►An open letter obtained by Kayhan Life urged Western governments to condemn the crackdown and seek accountability. It calls for the IRGC to be listed as a terrorist group, for coordinated visa bans and asset freezes, and for universal jurisdiction cases.
EXCLUSIVE: More than 100 Personalities Urge IRGC Terror Listing, Visa Bans After Iran Protest Killings

►Amid the week’s hard news, an Oscar-nominated Iranian documentary, “Cutting Through Rocks,” tells the story of a woman challenging strict gender rules in a conservative village. It is an intimate look at resilience.
All About Oscar-Nominated Iranian Documentary ‘Cutting through Rocks’ — Will It Win Next Month?