Iran’s Ongoing Protests Spark Internet Blackout
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has made it clear that security forces are prepared to crack down on demonstrators, who have been marching through the streets. This comes as protests continue to intensify in the country.
An overnight internet blackout affected much of Iran as anti-regime protests escalated. Now in their second week, the demonstrations have been accompanied by significant power outages, which have limited communication nationwide. Reports suggest that the death toll has reached 44. Data from NetBlocks indicated a collapse in internet traffic on Thursday night, shortly after there were calls for mass demonstrations at 8 PM local time.
Khamenei’s comments about the potential for a security response followed President Trump’s assertion that the United States would intervene if peaceful protesters faced violence. Trump stated, “If Iran follows its custom and violently shoots and kills peaceful protesters, the United States will come to their aid. We are locked, loaded and ready to go.” This statement, made on Truth Social, reflects the heightened international scrutiny of Iran’s actions.
In an interview on Thursday, Trump reiterated that if regime forces killed protesters, they would “be hit very hard.” His remarks were also shared on the State Department’s Persian feed.
Khamenei dismissed Trump’s statements, claiming that the U.S. president’s hands are “stained with Iranian blood,” as chants of “Death to America!” echoed in the background during a state television broadcast.
Videos reportedly documenting the protests circulated before the internet disruptions, showing demonstrators burning debris and trying to voice their dissent across major cities like Tehran. Iranian state media have accused U.S. and Israeli “terrorist operatives” of inciting violence, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the father of exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi, called for protests on Thursday night, expressing pride in the demonstrators. He encouraged citizens to continue to oppose the regime, urging them to join forces on Friday night for even larger turnouts.
Pahlavi emphasized that these protests could weaken the Islamic Republic and reassured participants that victory was attainable despite the challenges posed by internet outages.
