Iran Protests Intensify as New Rallies Erupt, Death Toll Rises to 65 Amid Fears of Crackdown

Fresh mass protests erupted across major Iranian cities overnight, as demonstrators continued to denounce the Islamic Republic, raising fears that authorities are escalating a violent crackdown under the cover of a nationwide internet shutdown. Activists say the death toll from the unrest has now climbed to 65.

The protests, now entering their second week, represent one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s leadership in years. Despite defiant remarks from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who blamed the unrest on the United States, public anger appears to be growing.

Internet Blackout Raises Crackdown Fears

Following the largest demonstrations yet on Thursday, new rallies broke out late Friday night, according to verified footage shared on social media and confirmed by AFP. These protests continued despite a 36-hour nationwide internet blackout, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.

Activists fear the shutdown is being used to conceal violent suppression, limiting the flow of evidence to the outside world.

According to the Iran Human Rights Activists News Agency, protests have taken place in 512 locations across 180 cities in all 31 provinces. The reported death toll includes 50 protesters, 14 security personnel, and one government-affiliated civilian. More than 2,300 people have been detained, while dozens were injured, many from pellet shots and plastic bullets.

Iranian authorities have yet to release official figures on casualties.

Human Rights Groups Sound Alarm

Amnesty International said it is reviewing “distressing reports” that Iranian security forces have intensified the unlawful use of lethal force against demonstrators. Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi warned that security forces may be preparing a “massacre under the cover of a communications blackout”.

She said reports indicate hundreds of people suffering eye injuries at a single Tehran hospital.

Meanwhile, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group estimates that at least 51 people have been killed so far, cautioning that the actual number could be much higher.

Award-winning Iranian filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Jafar Panahi also condemned the internet blackout, calling it one of the regime’s “most blatant tools of repression” used to hide violence.

Protests Spread Across Major Cities

Videos circulating online show protests in Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz, Qom, and Hamedan. In Tehran’s Saadatabad district, residents banged pots, chanted anti-government slogans, and honked car horns in solidarity.

In western Iran, demonstrators were seen waving a pre-1979 Iranian flag featuring the lion and sun, while others danced around fires in city streets. Some videos could not be independently verified.

Calls to Seize City Centres

Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last Shah, praised the turnout and urged protesters to move beyond demonstrations.

“Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets,” he said. “The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres.”

He also claimed he was preparing to return to Iran, calling the moment “very near”.

Government Responds with Forceful Rhetoric

Iranian authorities say several security personnel have been killed. State television aired footage of funerals, including a large ceremony in Shiraz.

In a fiery speech, Ayatollah Khamenei accused “vandals” and foreign powers of instigating unrest. The Iranian army pledged to “vigorously protect national interests”, while National Security Council chief Ali Larijani described the situation as “a war directed from outside”.

International Reaction

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran was “in big trouble” and suggested protesters were taking control of areas previously thought unreachable.

“It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities,” Trump said, stopping short of ruling out further action.

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