Iran plunged into digital isolation on Friday as authorities severed internet access in a drastic attempt to suppress rapidly expanding nationwide protests. The move left the country largely cut off from the outside world, with international phone calls failing and online news sites operating only intermittently.
Unrest Spreads and Death Toll Rises
The protests, which began in late November over soaring inflation and the plunging value of Iran's rial currency, have now spiralled into the most significant internal challenge for the Islamic Republic in three years. Rights groups report that dozens of people have been killed in the first nine days of demonstrations, with unrest documented in every province. Activists state that at least 36 people have died and approximately 2,000 have been detained.
What started as economic discontent has morphed into broader political defiance. Protesters have been heard chanting slogans like "Death to the dictator" and expressing praise for the former monarchy overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. State television broadcast images overnight showing burning buses, cars, motorbikes, and fires at metro stations and banks, portraying scenes it described as resembling a "war zone."
Leadership Response and Foreign Reactions
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, directly accused the protesters of acting as agents of a foreign power. He stated that rioters were destroying public property "just to please the heart of the president of the United States" and urged Donald Trump to "manage your own country." The Iranian government has adopted a dual strategy, describing economic protests as legitimate while condemning what it calls violent rioters and deploying security forces to crack down.
Authorities specifically blamed the exiled opposition group, the People's Mujahideen Organisation (MKO), for orchestrating the unrest. From abroad, Iran's fragmented opposition, including Reza Pahlavi—the exiled son of the late shah—called for continued protests. However, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday he would not meet with Pahlavi and was uncertain about backing him, despite previously warning Tehran.
Broader Context and International Pressure
While the current protests have not yet reached the scale of the nationwide 2022 demonstrations triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, they represent the most serious internal crisis since then. Iran now confronts this unrest under a graver economic situation, with the rial having lost half its value last year and inflation exceeding 40% in December. The country also faces intensifying international pressure, with crippling global sanctions over its nuclear program reimposed in September.
The external fallout was immediate. A French diplomatic source called on Iran to show "maximum restraint" towards protesters. The internet blackout and disruptions also had tangible logistical impacts, with at least six flights between Dubai and Iranian cities cancelled on Friday according to airport websites, further isolating the nation.
