Large crowds of protesters continued to march through Tehran and other Iranian cities on Thursday, as anti-government demonstrations entered their 12th night—though latest details are unconfirmed amidst an ongoing nationwide Internet and media blackout.
According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency, at least 34 protesters and four security personnel have been killed during the unrest, while 2,200 demonstrators have been arrested.
The protests erupted over rising prices and economic hardship following the collapse of the Iranian rial and rising risks of hyperinflation. Amidst the unrest, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeated his threat to “hit Iran hard” if government forces kill protesters.
Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late Shah of Iran, has called for the protests to continue. “Millions of Iranians demanded their freedom tonight,” he wrote in a statement on X, lamenting that the Iranian government had cut the internet and landlines. “I want to thank the leader of the free world, President Trump, for reiterating his promise to hold the regime to account,” he said, calling on other states to do likewise.
“I call on them to use all technical, financial, and diplomatic resources available to restore communication to the Iranian people so that their voice and their will can be heard and seen. Do not let the voices of my courageous compatriots be silenced,” he added.
While posts on social media—prior to the internet shutdown—showed demonstrators in several cities and towns across Iran, state media has claimed cities remain calm.