Protests have been ongoing in Iran for nearly two weeks now, with the government acknowledging the demonstrations as the country remains isolated from the rest of the world.
Due to the internet shutdown and cut-off phone lines in Iran, it has become increasingly challenging to assess the protests against the Iranian government from outside the country. The death toll in the protests has risen to at least 65 individuals, with over 2,300 others reportedly detained, as per the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Iranian state TV has been reporting on casualties among security forces while emphasizing control over the nation. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has hinted at an imminent crackdown, despite warnings from the US.
“The United States stands with the courageous people of Iran,” stated US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the social media platform X. The US State Department also issued a separate warning, stating, “Do not underestimate President Trump. He follows through on his promises.”
Saturday marked the beginning of the workweek in Iran, with many schools and universities reportedly conducting online classes, according to Iranian state TV. The TV channel repeatedly airs a dramatic orchestral piece from the Epic of Khorramshahr by Iranian composer Majid Entezami, while showcasing pro-government demonstrations.
The song, which commemorates Iran’s liberation of the city of Khorramshahr during the Iran-Iraq war in 1982, has been featured in videos of protesting women shaving their heads in protest against the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini.
State TV anchors reported, “Field reports indicate calm prevailing in most cities across the country at night. Following attacks by armed individuals setting fire to public places and private property, there were no reports of gatherings or unrest in Tehran and most provinces last night.”
Contrary to this report, an online video verified by the Associated Press showed demonstrations in northern Tehran’s Saadat Abad area, with a large crowd on the streets. Additionally, the semi-official Fars news agency, closely linked to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and one of the few media outlets with external publishing access, released surveillance footage from protests in Isfahan.
The footage depicted a protester apparently firing a firearm, alongside others setting fires and hurling petrol bombs at a government building. The Young Journalists’ Club, associated with state TV, disclosed that protesters had killed three members of the Basij force, an all-volunteer arm of the Revolutionary Guard, in Gachsaran.
Furthermore, it reported a security official stabbed to death in Hamadan province, a police officer killed in Bandar Abbas, another officer slain in Gilan, and one individual killed in Mashhad. State TV also aired footage of a funeral service attended by hundreds in Qom, a city known for its Shia seminaries south of Tehran.
The ongoing protests in Iran have led to a series of fires in Tehran, with thousands taking to the streets waving Iranian flags. Clashes with the Guard resulted in vehicles being set ablaze during the demonstrations.
Overnight, thousands of Iranians mobilized in defiance of the ruling regime. The death toll in the two-week uprising has reached at least 65 individuals.