Tehran is gripped by unprecedented unrest as anti-government protests surge across major cities, pushing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to deliver a fiery televised address. With the nation effectively cut off from the world due to a nationwide internet blackout, Khamenei accused demonstrators of sabotaging their own infrastructure just to appease foreign leaders, specifically pointing fingers at U.S. President Donald Trump.
The protests, now in their second week, erupted over soaring inflation, a crumbling economy, and brutal crackdowns by security forces. Videos circulating online before the shutdown showed burning buildings and vehicles in streets from Tehran to southern provinces. Human rights groups report at least 40 deaths, with police allegedly opening fire on crowds chanting for freedom.
In his speech broadcast on state television, Khamenei vowed no retreat, labeling the unrest as a conspiracy orchestrated by exiled opposition figures and Washington. ‘They are wrecking their own roads to make another country’s president happy,’ he thundered, a clear jab at Trump’s recent warnings that any violence against protesters would invite American retaliation.
Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi fueled the flames by calling for nationwide demonstrations at 8 PM local time on Thursday and Friday. Iran’s judiciary and security chiefs responded with stern threats of severe action against ‘anti-revolutionary’ slogans. President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government shut down internet and international calls on January 8, plunging the country into isolation as clashes intensified.
Economists warn that prolonged turmoil could devastate Iran’s already fragile oil-dependent economy, strained by sanctions. International observers watch closely, as the protests challenge the Islamic Republic’s grip on power like never before. Khamenei’s defiant stance signals a hardline response, but with deaths mounting and anger boiling, the streets may tell a different story.