Nationwide anti-government protests intensify over economic crisis, prompting internet blackout and crackdown
Mass anti-government demonstrations, now in their second week (starting late December 2025), have spread across all 31 provinces of Iran, driven primarily by severe economic hardships including rising living costs, currency collapse, and inflation. Protests escalated significantly on January 8–9, 2026, with reports of buildings and vehicles set ablaze in several cities, including Tehran.
Human rights groups (such as Iran Human Rights and HRANA) report at least 34–45 protesters killed (including children) and over 2,200 arrests since the unrest began. Authorities imposed a nationwide internet blackout and cut international phone services to curb coordination, isolating the country from the outside world and canceling flights.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the nation on January 9, accusing protesters of being “vandals” and “mercenaries” acting to please foreign powers, specifically naming U.S. President Donald Trump, while calling for unity and warning of a crackdown. Iranian officials have framed the unrest as influenced by external enemies like the U.S. and Israel. Amid the domestic turmoil, regional tensions persist over Iran’s nuclear program, with recent U.S. threats of further military action if Tehran attempts to rebuild capabilities damaged in prior strikes. The protests represent some of the most widespread challenges to the regime in years.
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