Iran’s near-total internet blackout continued on Saturday as the country’s supreme leader warned of a harsher crackdown on a growing wave of protests that have swept the nation. In his first public address since demonstrations began on 28 December, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the Islamic Republic would not back down, accusing protesters of acting on behalf of foreign powers and blaming US president Donald Trump for unrest driven by Iran’s economic crisis. The Human Rights Activist News Agency reported that at least 62 people have been killed since the demonstrations began, as the government maintained its communications shutdown and security forces remained deployed across major cities.
The United States and Iran exchanged sharp accusations as nationwide protests continued, with leaders on both sides issuing warnings and counterclaims. US President Donald Trump warned that Iran is in big trouble and threatened severe retaliation if protesters are killed, while Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States and Israel of trying to influence and destabilize Iran’s protest movement. Speaking in Lebanon on Friday, Araghchi claimed Washington and Tel Aviv were openly interfering in Iran’s internal affairs, though he downplayed the likelihood of direct foreign military action. United Nations human rights officials expressed alarm over the violence and urged protection of peaceful protest rights, while France, the United Kingdom, and Germany condemned the killing of protesters.
Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s exiled crown prince, has become an increasingly visible opposition figure during the latest wave of nationwide protests, urging Iranians to continue demonstrating and calling on the armed forces to protect the public while positioning himself as a potential steward of a democratic transition. His recent statements emphasize regime change, support for a secular government, and appeals for international backing, including calls for urgent US intervention as unrest intensifies across Iran.
The demonstrations that began on 28 December have evolved from what authorities initially dismissed as isolated incidents into a sustained challenge to the clerical establishment, with protesters increasingly invoking calls for fundamental political change rather than limited reforms.
The international community is watching the developments closely, with Western nations condemning the violence against demonstrators while Iranian authorities maintain that foreign powers are orchestrating the unrest to destabilize the country, creating a tense standoff that shows no signs of resolution as the internet blackout continues to limit information flowing out of Iran.
