Iran Protests Escalate Amid Deadly Crackdown and Internet Blackout
Tehran, Iran – Anti-government protests in Iran intensified over the weekend as demonstrators defied a deadly crackdown by security forces, taking to the streets in multiple cities despite reports of hundreds of casualties in recent days.
Footage verified by independent sources shows violent clashes in Tehran and Mashhad, with protesters using barricades and bonfires while security forces respond with live ammunition. Vehicles were set on fire, and multiple gunshots were heard in residential areas.
The unrest, which began on 28 December over soaring inflation, has now spread to over 100 cities and towns across all provinces. Protesters are increasingly calling for the end of the clerical rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Authorities have implemented a near-total internet shutdown, severely limiting access both domestically and internationally. Hospitals report being overwhelmed with casualties, with staff describing “horrific scenes” as many wounded did not survive long enough to receive treatment. Human rights groups report at least 78 protesters and 38 security personnel killed, while 26 deaths, including six children, have been independently verified.
Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warned that anyone participating in protests would be treated as an “enemy of God,” a charge that carries the death penalty. Meanwhile, exiled royal Reza Pahlavi and international leaders, including the United States, have expressed support for the demonstrators.
The scale of the unrest is the largest since the 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” protests, which erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini in custody. Analysts say the current wave of demonstrations reflects widespread frustration over economic hardship, political repression, and government corruption.
