Iran has been plunged into a nationwide internet blackout as authorities escalate a harsh crackdown on swelling protests, with the country's supreme leader vowing not to back down and blaming the United States for instigating the unrest.
Supreme Leader Signals Harsher Crackdown
In his first public address since demonstrations began 13 days ago, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei signalled a more severe government response was imminent. He described the protesters as "vandals" and "saboteurs", accusing them of acting on behalf of foreign powers to undermine the state.
Khamenei claimed protesters were "ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy", a clear reference to former US President Donald Trump. Trump had previously threatened American intervention if Iranian authorities killed demonstrators, and in a recent interview suggested the supreme leader was preparing to flee the country.
The head of Iran's judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, reinforced this hardline stance in a separate speech, warning that consequences for demonstrators would be "decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency".
Protests Defy Blackout and Violence
Despite the internet shutdown and escalating violence, protesters filled streets across Iran overnight. Videos showed thousands marching in the capital, Tehran, where a building belonging to state broadcasters was set alight. Demonstrators were also seen hoisting the pre-1979 revolutionary flag bearing the lion and sun emblem, a potent symbol of opposition to the current theocratic regime.
The protests, now active in all of Iran's provinces, represent the most significant challenge to authorities in years. They began on 28 December following a sudden plunge in the value of the national currency but have rapidly expanded to include demands for sweeping political reform and an end to clerical rule.
Protesters on the ground reported facing extreme violence from security forces. "They're aiming for the eyes," said Maryam, a 25-year-old artist protesting in Tehran. She described uniformed police, the paramilitary Basij militia, and plainclothes agents driving motorcycles into crowds.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists news agency, at least 42 people have been killed and more than 2,270 detained in the crackdown.
Media Blackout and External Calls to Protest
Authorities severed internet access across Iran at approximately 8pm local time (1630 GMT) on Thursday, severely hampering the flow of information and making the true scale of the demonstrations difficult to ascertain. The blackout coincided with a call for protests from Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah.
Footage appeared to show protesters chanting in support of Pahlavi, including in Mashhad, the supreme leader's hometown. Pahlavi later praised demonstrators on social media platform X, stating, "I am proud of each and every one of you who conquered the streets across Iran." He issued a further call for protests on Friday evening.
In a significant shift, Iranian state media acknowledged the unrest for the first time on Friday, but characterised it as violent riots orchestrated by "terrorist agents" of the US and Israel. State TV aired footage of pro-government rallies and claimed life continued normally for most citizens.
One state-owned outlet, Press TV, reported that Iran had captured agents from Israel's Mossad who had infiltrated protest movements, alleging they planned a "false-flag killing operation" to blame the state for civilian deaths.
The government's crackdown, however, appears to have hardened the resolve of many protesters. "Fuck them! The cowards abandoned their vehicles and fled!" said Ali, a 21-year-old student in Tehran. "We took over the streets tonight... The country belongs to us!"
Anger has also targeted the clerical establishment that underpins Iran's theocracy. In the city of Gonabad, crowds reportedly stormed a Shia seminary on Wednesday, beating staff and damaging the facility according to its director.
As the internet remains largely offline and security forces prepare for further nights of unrest, the standoff between the Iranian state and a protest movement born from economic grievance but now demanding fundamental political change shows no sign of abating.
