Man accused of recklessly driving U-Haul into Iran protest in Los Angeles, police say

Authorities released a man on Monday who was accused of driving a U-Haul truck toward a weekend demonstration in Los Angeles supporting ongoing protests in Iran, police confirmed.

The incident occurred Sunday when Los Angeles Police Department officers monitoring the protest intercepted the box truck as it approached a large crowd of demonstrators. Video footage shared on social media shows the truck speeding down a road lined with protesters on the sidewalk, prompting shouts of alarm from the crowd.

After police halted the vehicle, demonstrators surrounded it and tore off a banner that read “No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don’t Repeat 1953. No Mullah.” In the ensuing confrontation, the crowd reportedly attacked the driver, who then drove toward a group of officers as protesters jumped out of the way. Police formed a protective line between the crowd and the driver before taking him into custody.

Although police initially reported that one person had been struck by the truck, the department later clarified that no one was hit. Emergency services evaluated two people at the scene, but both declined further treatment, according to the fire department.

The 48-year-old driver was released on Monday without formal charges. The city attorney’s office has not yet responded to inquiries about potential charges in the case. Police investigators searched the truck but reported that “nothing significant was found.”

The demonstration took place in Westwood, a Los Angeles neighborhood that hosts the largest Iranian community outside Iran. The protest was part of worldwide demonstrations supporting the anti-government movement in Iran, which has intensified in recent months.

The banner on the truck referenced the 1953 U.S.-backed coup that overthrew Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh after he nationalized the country’s oil industry. That coup consolidated the power of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and set the stage for the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to power and established the theocratic government that continues to rule Iran today.

Many protesters at the Los Angeles demonstration were seen waving Iran’s pre-revolutionary lion and sun flag, a symbol associated with the former Shah. This indicates the complex political dynamics within the Iranian diaspora, where some support the overthrow of the current Islamic regime while others advocate different visions for Iran’s future.

Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the Shah who fled Iran just before the 1979 revolution, has called on Iranians to join the demonstrations from his residence in the United States. Recent protests in Iran have occasionally featured pro-Shah slogans, which were once punishable by death, highlighting the depth of anger fueling the demonstrations that initially began over economic conditions in the sanctions-crippled country.

The Iranian diaspora in the United States reflects diverse political views, with some supporting the end of clerical rule while opposing a return to monarchy. This ideological diversity underscores the complicated nature of Iranian politics both domestically and abroad.

Video footage of Sunday’s incident shows demonstrators rushing away from the truck’s path while some gave chase. When the vehicle stopped several blocks away, its windshield, mirrors, and a window had been shattered. News helicopter footage captured police officers restraining the crowd while demonstrators surrounded the truck, with some punching the driver and others thrusting flagpoles through the driver’s side window.

The incident occurs against a backdrop of heightened tensions, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening military action against Iran over its crackdown on nationwide protests, which activists claim has resulted in nearly 600 deaths across the country.