Iran’s internet blackout surpasses 24 hours; over 60 killed in two weeks of protests

Iran’s unrest escalates

Iran’s anti-government protests have entered their sixth day, spreading rapidly across all 31 provinces.

Authorities have responded with near-total internet blackout in an effort to curb information flow and limit coordination among demonstrators.

The unrest, which began in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, reflects the growing public anger over economic hardhsip and political grievances.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest updates on the ongoing unrest in Iran.

Iran would ‘not back down’

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted that the Islamic republic would “not back down” in the face of protesters who he called “vandals” and “saboteurs”, in a speech broadcast on state TV.

Speaking to supporters in his first comments on the escalating protests since January 3, Khamenei said US President Donald Trump’s hands “are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians” and predicted the “arrogant” US leader would be “overthrown” like the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran up to the 1979 revolution.

Flights cancelled

As the unrest continues to escalate, several airlines have decided to cancel flights to the Iranian capital Tehran.

Turkish Airlines has called off its five Friday flights to Tehran, while five other flights operated by Iranian airlines have also been cancelled.

Meanwhile, at least 17 flights from Dubai to various Iranian cities including Tehran, Shiraz and Mashhad have been cancelled.

A Flydubai spokesperson told Khaleej Times that all its flights to Iran on Friday (January 9) have been canceled. “We are in direct contact with passengers whose travel plans have been affected,” the spokesperson said. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely and revise our flight schedule accordingly.”

Trump threatens severe action

US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to take severe action against Iran if its authorities “start killing people” who are protesting in the country, where an economic crisis has led to mounting civil unrest.

“I have let them know that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots — they have lots of riots — if they do it, we are going to hit them very hard,” Trump said during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

Local media and official statements have reported at least 21 people, including security forces, have died since the unrest began in late December.

Business as usual for Iranians

Amid the chaos of escalating protests, life goes on for many Iranians. Some are seen queuing at stores, carefully examining grocery items as they try to navigate soaring prices and shortages.

Iran’s economy has been hit hard by tough international sanctions, with the national currency, the rial, losing more than a third of its value against the US dollar over the past year and inflation in double digits.

Check out the photos below, as shared by AFP:

What you need to know about Iran’s protests

The demonstrations began on Sunday when shopkeepers in Tehran closed their businesses in protest, before spreading nationwide. What started as economic anger has increasingly taken on political overtones, with unrest now reported in 17 of Iran’s 31 provinces.

Why the protests matter

• Rising living costs are driving anger
  Heavy international sanctions have limited Iran’s access to global markets and frozen foreign assets, pushing up inflation as the country relies more on imports. The rial has fallen by 56 per cent in six months, hitting 1.42 million to the dollar, while food prices have jumped by an average of 72 percent year-on-year.

• The protests are widespread
  From Tehran’s Grand Bazaar to universities and city streets across the country, people from different social groups have joined the demonstrations, signalling broad frustration with the economy.

• The situation could escalate
  International attention has intensified. US President Donald Trump warned Iran against using force on protesters, while Israel’s foreign ministry posted symbolic messages of support for demonstrators on Persian-language social media.

• It’s unclear how the government will respond

  While past protests in Iran have been met with deadly crackdowns, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration has so far avoided sweeping force, despite sporadic clashes, and has signalled willingness to hear what it calls protesters’ “legitimate demands”.

  In a bid to calm tensions, the government appointed Abdolnaser Hemmati as the new central bank governor on Wednesday, tasking him with restoring stability after the rial’s sharp fall.

  Authorities have also moved to ease pressure on campuses. On Tuesday, the Higher Education Ministry removed campus security chiefs at the University of Tehran and two other major institutions, citing misconduct and mishandling of recent student protests.

  Pezeshkian reiterated his focus on economic reform and anti-corruption efforts during a ceremony in Tehran on Thursday marking the fifth anniversary of the killing of IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani.

EU urges restoration of internet access

The European Union called on Iran to restore internet access in the country, and condemned any violence against protesters.

“The people of Iran are expressing their legitimate aspiration for a better life. Any violence against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable,” EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni said.

“We urge the Iranian authorities to uphold the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and to restore access to the internet for all,” he added.

An attempt to break up the protests

A cloud of tear gas filled the narrow lanes of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on January 6 as security forces moved in to break up a protest against Iran’s clerical leadership.

Images shared on social media the same day show demonstrators scattering as canisters were fired, marking another flashpoint in days of unrest over the country’s deepening economic crisis.

Cut off from the outside world

Iran was largely cut off from the outside world on Friday after authorities blacked out the internet to curb expanding protests, with phone calls not reaching the country, flights cancelled and online Iranian news sites only intermittently updating.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of acting on behalf of US President Donald Trump, saying rioters were attacking public properties and warning that Tehran would not tolerate people acting as “mercenaries for foreigners”

Five killed during riots

Fars News Agency reported that five people, including a public prosecutor, were killed during riots in the eastern Iranian city of Esfarayen.

Moments of tension and defiance

Crowds filled the streets of Tehran as anti-government unrest continued. This photo taken on January 8 captured moments of tension and defiance amid the growing protests.

Demonstrations of solidarity

The unrest in Iran has resonated far beyond its borders, with demonstrations of solidarity emerging across Europe and America. In Paris, protesters gathered in early January to denounce Tehran’s crackdown, drawing support from politicians and activists alike.

French Senator Francis Szpiner was seen speaking during a demonstration against the Iranian regime’s crackdown on protests in central Paris.

Several hundred people gathered at two rallies in Paris in support of the anti-government protest in Iran.

Activists also took part in a rally supporting protestors in Iran at Lafayette Square, across from the White House in Washington, DC.

No tolerance toward ‘saboteurs’

Iran’s National Security Council said security forces and the judiciary will show no tolerance toward “saboteurs.”

The Council also said US President Donald Trump’s statements point to “full coordination” with Israel to target Iran’s security.

Maximum restraint urged

France is calling on Iranian authorities to show maximum restraint towards those protesting against the government in the country, said a French diplomatic source.

Leaders carry out official duties

Amid growing unrest at home, Iranian leaders continue to carry out their official duties abroad.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with his Lebanese counterpart, Youssef Rajji, at the foreign ministry in Beirut.

He also met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda.

At least 45 killed

Iranian security forces have killed at least 45 protesters, including eight minors, in a crackdown on demonstrations that began in late December, Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights said on Thursday.

The NGO said Wednesday was the bloodiest day of the now 12-day movement, with 13 protesters confirmed to have been killed.

“The evidence shows that the scope of crackdown is becoming more violent and more extensive every day,” said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, adding hundreds more have been wounded and over 2,000 arrested.

An opening and a warning

As protests began, Iran’s Supreme Leader on January 3 offered both an opening and a warning. Protesters, he said, deserve to be heard and engaged. Rioters do not. “There’s no point in talking with a rioter,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, drawing a sharp divide between dissent and disorder.

Low possibility of foreign intervention

Iran Foreign Minister Araqchi said the possibility of foreign military intervention in the Islamic Republic is “very low”.

Oman FM to visit Iran

Iran FM Abbas Araqchi said Oman’s foreign minister is set to visit Iran on Saturday.

Several officers killed in Tehran: Tasnim

Several officers from Tehran’s criminal investigation department were killed overnight by “armed protesters”, Reuters reported, citing Tasnim news agency.

EU’s Kallas reacts

European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said “shutting down the internet while violently suppressing protests exposes a regime afraid of its own people.”

Kallas added the response of the Iranian security forces to protests is “disproportionate” and that any violence against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable.

Anti-government unrest

Flames licked the streets of Iran as vehicles burned and protesters gathered, their voices rising amid an evolving wave of anti-government unrest.

Tehran issues warning

In Tehran, a stark warning echoed from the city’s prosecutor: those caught sabotaging infrastructure, torching public property, or clashing with security forces could face the ultimate penalty — the death sentence. The announcement, carried by state media, underscores the government’s hardening stance amid ongoing unrest.

Largest protest since 2022-2023

Iran is witnessing its largest protests since the 2022–2023 nationwide unrest that followed the custody death of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested over an alleged breach of the country’s strict dress code.

AFP videos captured demonstrations spreading across the country — from Tabriz in the north and the holy city of Mashhad in the east, as well as the Kurdish-populated west of the country, including the regional hub Kermanshah.

Check out the videos below:

Khamenei says Iran more equipped

In a social media post, Khamenei said, “Last night in Tehran & some other cities, a bunch of people bent on destruction came and destroyed buildings that belong to their own country in order to please the President of the US and make him happy.

“The US President has said that if the Iranian govt. does such-and-such, I’ll take the side of the rioters. The rioters have put their hopes in him. If he’s so capable, he should manage his own country.”

He added that Iran is “more equipped and armed” than the time before the Revolution.

Iran FM calls out US, Israel

Iran’s foreign minister accused the United States and Israel on Friday of fuelling a growing protest movement in the country, while dismissing the possibility of direct foreign military intervention after US warnings over crackdowns on demonstrators.

“This is what the Americans and Israelis have stated, that they are directly intervening in the protests in Iran,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a visit to Lebanon.

“They are trying to transform the peaceful protests into divisive and violent ones,” he said, adding that “regarding the possibility of seeing military intervention against Iran, we believe there is a low possibility of this because their previous attempts were total failures”.

Need for transparent investigation

The UN’s human rights chief on Friday called for all protest deaths in Iran to be “independently and transparently” probed, while also expressing concern at the internet being cut in the country.

Volker Turk, in a statement, said he was “deeply disturbed by reports of violence” in the nationwide protests, saying: “Those responsible for any violations must be held to account in line with international norms and standards.”

Pahlavi asks Trump to intervene

The son of the shah of Iran ousted by the 1979 Iranian Revolution, US-based Reza Pahlavi, issued an “urgent and immediate call for [Trump’s] attention, support, and action”.

He brought attention to the protesters facing “not just bullets but a total communications blackout. No Internet. No landlines.”

Pahlavi, who had previously called on people to take to the streets, said while Trump’s threat to the “criminal regime” has kept thugs at bay, “time is of the essence”.

In a social media note, he asked the US President to “be prepared to intervene to help the people of Iran”.

Look: Pro-government demonstrators

Pro-government demonstrators are chanting slogans and holding Iranian flags and portraits of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

‘US wrong in calculations about Iran’

Khamenei continued to say in his social media posts, “Today like the past, the US is wrong in its calculations about Iran. Our enemies don’t know Iran. In the past, the US failed due to their flawed planning. Today too, their flawed scheming will cause them to fail.”

Maximum punishment for rioters

Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei warned that punishment of “rioters” would be “decisive, the maximum and without any legal leniency”.

Quoted by state television, he said a district prosecutor in the town of Esfarayen in eastern Iran and several members of the security forces had been killed late Thursday in the protests.

Security forces fire on protesters after Friday prayers

The Haalvsh rights group said security forces fired on protesters in Zahedan, the main city of Sistan-Baluchistan province, after Friday prayers, causing an unspecified number of casualties, AFP reported.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said in a joint statement that since the start of the protests on December 28, security forces “have unlawfully used rifles, shotguns loaded with metal pellets, water cannon, tear gas and beatings to disperse, intimidate and punish largely peaceful protesters”.

Kuwait issues advisory

Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on its citizens present in Iran to exercise the utmost caution and avoid being near places of gatherings or demonstrations. It emphasised on the importance of adhering to the guidelines of the local authorities and communicating with the country’s embassy in Tehran in the event of any emergency at +98 919 202 3569, or via the Ministry’s emergency number +965 159 or +965 2222 5504.

Iranian demonstrators rally in Brussels

Supporters of anti-regime protests in Iran gathered in Brussels to express their support for the movement, denouncing the authorities’ crackdown and demanding freedom and democratic change. The nearly two-week-long protests in Iran have shaken Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime, posing one of the biggest challenges to the Islamic republic in its more than four-and-a-half decades of existence.

‘India closely following developments in Iran’

During his weekly media briefing, India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was asked about the situation in Iran. “India is closely following the developments in Iran,” he said.

On January 5, New Delhi had urged Indian nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Iran and also advised Indian citizens in Iran to exercise due caution and avoid travelling to areas witnessing protests or demonstrations.

Over 50 protesters killed: Rights NGO

More than 50 protesters have been killed in nearly two weeks of demonstrations in Iran sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, a rights group said Friday, AFP reported.

“At least 51 protesters, including nine children under the age of 18, have been killed and hundreds more injured in the first thirteen days of the new round of nationwide protests in Iran,” said the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights, raising a previous toll of 45 issued the day earlier.

Iranian rights group HRANA said on Friday it had documented at least 14 security personnel were killed since demonstrations began on December 28. This brings the total toll to around 65 killed.

Nationwide internet shutdown crosses 24 hours

An internet blackout implemented by the Iranian authorities during major protests has now lasted 24 hours, internet freedom monitor Netblocks said on Friday.

“It has now been 24 hours since Iran implemented a nationwide internet shutdown, with connectivity flatlining at 1% of ordinary levels,” the organisation said in a post on X.

Khamenei meets people of Qom

While anti-government protests raged on, Iran’s supreme leader Khamenei met with people from Qom Province at the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah on the occasion of the 1978 uprising of the people of Qom against the Pahlavi regime.

Building, cars set on fire

UGC images posted on social media on January 9, 2026, show protests across several cities in Iran, with cars and a building set on fire in Tehran, demonstrators chanting “Long live the Shah” and a police vehicle overturned in Bandar Abbas. 

“Kind and responsible approach”

Authorities have tried a dual approach — describing protests over the economy as legitimate while condemning what they call violent rioters and cracking down with security forces.

Last week, President Masoud Pezeshkian urged authorities to take a “kind and responsible approach”, and the government offered modest financial incentives to help counter worsening impoverishment as inflation has soared.

Who is Reza Pahlavi?

Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Empress Farah Diba, has emerged as a key figure in nationwide protests sparked by Iran’s economic collapse in late 2025, gaining momentum after his appeal to citizens.

Born on October 31, 1960, he was named Crown Prince in 1967 and later moved to the United States for jet fighter training before the 1979 Islamic Revolution forced his family into permanent exile. He holds a political science degree from the University of Southern California.

While some supporters call for the monarchy’s restoration, Pahlavi advocates a secular, democratic parliamentary system, with Iran’s future decided by a national referendum.

Possible ‘massacre’

Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi on Friday warned security forces in the Islamic republic could be preparing to commit a “massacre under the cover of a sweeping communications blackout” after imposing a nationwide internet shutdown.

The internet shutdown is “not a technical failure… it is a tactic”, the veteran campaigner, who now lives in exile, said on her official Telegram account. 

She said she had received information that hundreds of people had been taken to a Tehran hospital on Thursday with “severe eye injuries” caused by pellet gun fire.

Government confirms internet shutdown

Iran’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology said the decision to shut down the internet was made “by the competent security authorities under the prevailing circumstances of the country.”

UN monitoring situation

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Friday the United Nations was continuing to follow the situation extremely closely and was very disturbed by the loss of life.

“People anywhere in the world have a right to demonstrate peacefully, and governments have a responsibility to protect that right and to ensure that that right is respected,” Dujarric said.

French, UK, German leaders condemn ‘killing of protestors’ in Iran

The leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Germany on Friday condemned what they described as the “killing of protestors” in Iran, urging the authorities to “exercise restraint”.

“We are deeply concerned about reports of violence by Iranian security forces, and strongly condemn the killing of protestors,” French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a joint statement.

Trump holds off meeting exiled Iranian crown prince

Trump said he was not inclined now to meet Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince and son of the late Shah of Iran, a sign that he was waiting to see how the crisis plays out before backing an opposition leader.

“I think that we should let everybody go out there and see who emerges,” Trump said. “I’m not sure necessarily that it would be an appropriate thing to do.”

Pahlavi, who lives near Washington, has used social media to call for continued mass demonstrations. In a post on Friday, he called on Trump to get more involved in the crisis with his “attention, support and action.”

“You have proven and I know you are a man of peace and a man of your word. Please be prepared to intervene to help the people of Iran,” he said.

Stay tuned

Iran’s internet shutdown is still in force, having crossed over 36 hours. As both anti-government and pro-government demonstrators take to the streets, world leaders have their eye on Iran.

While Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei said the nation would not back down, US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran, suggesting Washington could come to the protesters’ aid.

As countries trade blame and protests continue, Khaleej Times will bring you the latest updates. Stay tuned at khaleejtimes.com

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