World leaders have condemned Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters as nationwide demonstrations continue to flare up across the country. In a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union lauded the bravery displayed by the citizens of Iran and urged the regime to stop using lethal force and respect the right to peaceful protest. Protests have spread across several regions, prompting heavy deployment of security forces.

Iran has also imposed a nationwide internet shutdown, with connectivity reduced to about one percent. Protests in Iran entered their thirteenth day as the movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living has now morphed into a call for the end of the present regime that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the pro-Western Shah.