Iran's foreign minister has declared the nationwide protest movement is now "under total control", despite an ongoing internet blackout making verification of the claim impossible and reports of a brutal security crackdown continuing to emerge.
Blackout Obscures Scale of Unrest
Abbas Araghchi made the assertion to foreign diplomats in Tehran on Monday, providing no evidence. The statement comes as Iran enters its fourth day of a near-total internet shutdown, severely hampering efforts to confirm the situation on the ground. The few videos and messages that have filtered out suggest protests are continuing into their 16th day, but the scale is unclear.
The protests began with traders in Tehran demonstrating against a sudden currency depreciation but have since expanded into nationwide unrest with calls for the fall of the regime. The government response has been heavy-handed, drawing comparisons to the crackdowns on mass unrest in 2009 and 2019.
Lethal Force and International Condemnation
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 544 people have been killed in the demonstrations, including 483 protesters and 47 security forces. More than 10,681 protesters have been arrested. The organisation cautions the death toll is likely to climb, with 579 additional reports of killings being verified.
One protester described a harrowing scene in Tehran's Punak neighbourhood: "After some time, in the darkness, gunfire began and people were hit by bullets... we suspect the shots were fired either from drones in the sky or directly from rooftops." Reports suggest authorities cut electricity before opening fire.
The crackdown has triggered a wave of international condemnation. Germany and Canada have called on Iranian authorities to halt their repression. Meanwhile, Iranian officials, including Araghchi, have accused Western powers, Israel, and the US of turning protests "violent and bloody" to justify intervention.
Trump's Threat and Regime's Warning
Hours before Araghchi's statement, US President Donald Trump stated that Iran had "asked for negotiations" even as he considered "very strong" military action over the intensifying crackdown. When asked if Iran had crossed his red line of protesters being killed, Trump said: "They’re starting to, it looks like."
In response, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned Washington against "a miscalculation", declaring that US bases and Israeli territory would become "legitimate targets" in the event of an attack.
Inside Iran, the regime is attempting to project strength. State media has called for pro-government marches, and President Masoud Pezeshkian urged a "national resistance march". Authorities have also begun handing out harsh sentences, with at least 96 forced confessions broadcast on state media. According to the Hengaw rights group, 26-year-old protester Irfan Soltani has been sentenced to death, with his execution scheduled for Wednesday.
As the internet blackout persists and the death toll rises, the coming days are seen as critical for determining whether the protest movement can maintain its momentum in the face of the regime's increasingly lethal response.
