Iran has fallen into a near-total communications shutdown as anti-regime demonstrations sweep across major cities for a twelfth straight day. Internet access collapsed Thursday evening, hours after organizers urged citizens to gather for nationwide protests at 8 p.m. local time. The death toll has now reached 44, according to opposition reports.
Live data from NetBlocks confirmed a sharp drop in internet traffic across the country. The blackout took hold shortly after videos of new clashes circulated on social media.
Trump Reiterates Stark Warning
Before reports of the latest killings surfaced, former President Donald Trump renewed his warning to Tehran in an interview with Hugh Hewitt. He said that if the regime begins killing protesters, “they will be hit very hard.”
Asked whether he had a message for the Iranian people, Trump added, “You should feel strongly about freedom. There’s nothing like freedom. You’re brave people.”
The State Department’s Persian X account later echoed Trump’s message in Farsi, amplifying his remarks across the region.
Opposition: Blackout Began Hours Before Protests
Ali Safavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said the communications blackout was already underway earlier in the afternoon.
“Around 1 p.m. local time, the internet traffic dropped,” he told Fox News Digital, adding that reports quickly spread “that the regime had cut off the internet.”
NetBlocks described the disruption as the latest in “a series of escalating digital censorship measures targeting protests across the country,” while the Associated Press reported that telephone lines were also severed in several regions.
According to Safavi, the shutdown escalated alongside a surge in clashes.
“The internet was cut off in Lordegan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces as battles erupted,” Safavi said.
He added that violent unrest was spreading in Isfahan, noting, “State radio and the TV station were set on fire by rebellious youth.”
Death Toll Rises As Protests Expand
As the blackout intensified, the NCRI reported that at least 44 protesters had been killed since the uprising began. On Thursday alone, the group identified 13 additional victims, calling them “martyrs” of the nationwide rebellion. Seven were from Lordegan, including a woman and two teenagers.
According to the NCRI, the victims were killed by Revolutionary Guard units and security forces firing live rounds.
The protests were initially sparked in December by the collapse of the national currency and soaring inflation. However, the anger has now transformed into a sweeping movement calling for the end of the Islamic Republic.
Protesters Call for Overthrow
In western Iran, demonstrators attempted to seize control of two cities while chanting “Death to Khamenei” in the streets. Clashes escalated, and general strikes spread across commercial centers.
Safavi said the scale of the movement is unlike anything seen in years.
“Millions of Iranians from north to south and east to west have been out in the streets until nighttime,” he said.
“Over the past 12 days, more young people have laid down their lives to free Iran.”
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince, also spoke out on X. In a statement, he wrote, “Millions of Iranians demanded their freedom tonight. In response, the regime in Iran has cut all lines of communication. It has shut down the Internet. It has cut landlines. It may even attempt to jam satellite signals.”
Government Buildings Torched, Security Forces Killed
Local reports from Lordegan said security forces killed eight protesters in a single day. Three regime personnel, including a colonel and two Basij members, were also killed in clashes.
Elsewhere, government buildings went up in flames in multiple provinces, including Lumar in Ilam. Safavi said demonstrators have increasingly targeted symbols of the state.
“Statues have been destroyed and set on fire,” he said. He added that “the day before, buses were set alight in Mashhad and another torched.”
Footage verified by Reuters showed protesters in Mashhad tearing an Iranian flag in half as crowds shouted anti-regime slogans.
In Tehran, rage turned into open confrontation. Safavi said protesters overturned a police vehicle in affluent Kaj Square as crowds shouted, “Death to the oppressor!”
