Iran faces a severe communications blackout as protests escalate across multiple cities, with state media reporting fires and violent clashes on the streets. Citizens are struggling to make phone calls, and international flights have been disrupted, reflecting the intensity of unrest gripping the country.
Authorities say the demonstrations have left several police officers dead, while human rights organizations report dozens of protesters killed in nearly two weeks. Semi-official Tasnim news agency said the violence has intensified overnight in major urban centers.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the nation on television, insisting the government would not yield. He accused the demonstrators of acting on behalf of émigré opposition groups and the United States.
Tehran’s public prosecutor also warned that those committing sabotage or attacking security forces face the death penalty.
The protests began over the economic crisis, with the rial losing half its value against the dollar and inflation topping 40% last December, but they have grown to include anti-government slogans targeting top leaders.
State television broadcast images of burning vehicles, buses, and underground stations, blaming the unrest on the People's Mujahedin Organisation (MKO), an opposition group based abroad.
Videos verified by Reuters show hundreds marching through Tehran streets, with one woman shouting, "Death to Khamenei!" Some chants expressed support for the former monarchy.
In Zahedan, a city dominated by the Baluch minority, the rights group Hengaw reported gunfire during a post-Friday prayers protest, wounding several participants.
Officials have taken a dual approach, describing economic protests as legitimate while condemning violent actions. President Masoud Pezeshkian urged authorities to act with care and offered limited financial relief to struggling citizens.
Despite these measures, the Supreme Leader issued a stern warning: "The Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of hundreds of thousands of honourable people. It will not back down in the face of vandals." He accused participants of seeking to please U.S. President Donald Trump.
External opposition factions have called for further demonstrations. Exiled former crown prince Reza Pahlavi said in a social media post: "The eyes of the world are upon you. Take to the streets." While some demonstrators support the monarchy or the MKO, the level of internal backing is uncertain.
Trump, who carried out airstrikes on Iran last year, said he would not meet Pahlavi and was "not sure that it would be appropriate" to support him. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi described foreign military intervention as "very low" but said Oman’s foreign minister would visit Tehran on Saturday.
U.N. rights chief Volker Turk condemned the violence and the communications blackout, saying he was "deeply disturbed by reports of violence."
Iran has experienced repeated nationwide protests, from student unrest in 1999 to mass demonstrations over elections in 2009, economic protests in 2019, and the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests sparked by the killing of a young woman in custody.
The 2022 protests drew broad participation but were suppressed with hundreds killed and thousands imprisoned, although some changes followed, such as women increasingly ignoring dress codes.
