Iran Protests Intensify as Death Toll Rises, Internet Cut

Protests across Iran intensified on Thursday as demonstrators mounted their strongest challenge yet to the clerical leadership, nearly two weeks after nationwide rallies began. Authorities responded by cutting internet access while reports indicated that the death toll from the security crackdown continued to rise.

The protest movement began on 28 December with a shutdown of Tehran’s central bazaar after the national currency plunged to record lows. It has since spread across the country, with increasingly large demonstrations, including major gatherings in the capital.

The unrest has added to mounting pressure on the leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, already grappling with a deep economic crisis following years of sanctions and the fallout from last June’s war with Israel.

Amid the escalating violence, US President Donald Trump warned Tehran against killing protesters, threatening severe consequences if the crackdown intensified.

Human rights groups accused Iranian security forces of using live ammunition against demonstrators. One Norway-based rights organisation said at least 45 protesters, including eight minors, had been killed since the protests began, describing Wednesday as the deadliest day, with 13 confirmed deaths. Hundreds were reported injured and more than 2,000 arrested.

Iranian authorities, however, have acknowledged at least 21 deaths since the unrest began, including members of the security forces. On Wednesday, an Iranian police officer was killed west of Tehran while attempting to “control unrest,” according to official accounts.

Despite the crackdown, protests continued late into Thursday night. Large crowds gathered on Ayatollah Kashani Boulevard in north-west Tehran, while demonstrations were also reported in the southern city of Abadan and other urban centres.

As unrest spread, internet monitoring groups reported a nationwide blackout, saying live data showed severe disruptions to online connectivity across Iran.

With demonstrations expanding, a US-based rights monitoring group said rallies had taken place in 348 locations across all 31 provinces. Exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s former monarch, called for further large-scale protests.

Iranian Kurdish opposition parties based in Iraq urged a general strike in Kurdish-populated western regions. Rights monitors said the call was widely observed in around 30 towns and cities, with shops shuttered across parts of Ilam, Kermanshah and Lorestan provinces. They also reported that security forces fired on demonstrators in Kermanshah and the nearby town of Kamyaran, injuring several people.

Rights groups further alleged that a woman protester in Abadan was shot directly in the eye during demonstrations late Wednesday.

President Masoud Pezeshkian called for “utmost restraint” in dealing with the protests, urging authorities to avoid violence or coercion. International criticism also mounted, with Germany’s foreign minister condemning what he described as the excessive use of force against protesters.

In one widely circulated video, demonstrators in Kuhchenar, in southern Fars province, were seen cheering as they pulled down a statue of Qassem Soleimani, the former foreign operations commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards who was killed in a US airstrike in 2020.

Protesters have repeatedly chanted slogans against the clerical leadership, including calls for the return of the Pahlavi monarchy and the downfall of Supreme Leader Khamenei. The movement has also reached universities, prompting the postponement of final exams at Tehran’s Amir Kabir University.

The current unrest marks the largest wave of protests since the nationwide demonstrations of 2022–2023, which were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women.

Human rights organisations have accused Iranian authorities of employing harsh tactics, including raids on hospitals to arrest wounded protesters, and of using unlawful force against demonstrators and bystanders alike.