Tehran and several other parts of Iran experienced a digital blackout on Thursday as internet connectivity dropped across multiple service providers, internet monitoring group NetBlocks said, during nationwide protests against economic hardships.
The Associated Press reported that attempts to call Iranian landlines and mobile phones from Dubai failed to connect, indicating that the regime may have suspended telephone service as well.
Footage seen by The Jerusalem Post and verified by BBC's Farsi channel appears to show that protesters set fire to an Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) office in Isfahan during the protests.
London-based anti-regime outlet Iran International reported that IRIB's Mashhad office was a focal point for protesters.
Anti-regime social media news and activist accounts shared footage that appears to show thousands marching through the streets in Mashhad, blocking a major boulevard in the northeastern city. Mashhad is notable as the birthplace of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as being the second-largest city in the country, after Tehran.
Footage from Tehran appeared to show vehicles overturned and burned during the protests.
Two Iranian regime officers were killed during protests in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported, citing Iranian state media.
Israel's Foreign Ministry's Farsi social media account has sent out various messages of support to the protesters, including sharing information on the internet outages.
"Qom, Mashhad, Tehran, Dezful. All of Iran is under the feet of the people of Iran," the ministry wrote on X/Twitter.
"The Islamic Republic has cut off people's internet. Why?" the ministry accused.
Iran's economy is facing high inflation and other challenges, partly due to US sanctions, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, underscoring Washington's concerns about Tehran cracking down violently on anti-regime protests.
"The Iranian economy is on the ropes," Bessent told the Economic Club of Minnesota, underscoring President Donald Trump's warning to Tehran to avoid harming protesters.
"It's a very precarious moment. He does not want them to harm more of the protesters. This is a tense moment," he added, referring to US President Donald Trump's threat on Sunday to hit Tehran if it began killing protesters.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch denounce regime's violent clampdown on protesters
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch denounced the Islamic Republic's regime's violent clampdown on protesters in a joint statement on Thursday evening.
The rights organizations found that protesters have been "largely peaceful," but have been "gravely injured" by IRGC and police (FARAJA) clampdowns, and faced "mass arbitrary arrests," since the protests began on December 28.
"Iranian authorities have unleashed a deadly crackdown on protesters across the country since 28 December 2025, marked by security forces’ unlawful use of force and firearms and mass arbitrary arrests," the statement opened.
"People in Iran daring to express their anger at decades of repression and demand fundamental change are once again being met with a deadly pattern of security forces unlawfully firing at, chasing, arresting and beating protesters, in scenes reminiscent of the Woman Life Freedom uprising of 2022," Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, added.
"The frequency and persistence with which the Iranian security forces have unlawfully used force, including lethal force, against protesters, combined with systematic impunity for members of security force who commit grave violations, indicate that the use of such weapons to crush protests remains entrenched as state policy," Michael Page, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, said.
Pahlavi thanks 'leader of free world' Trump for support during protests, calls on European leaders to follow suit
Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi thanked Trump, who he called "the leader of the free world," for "reiterating his promise to hold the regime to account."
"It is time for others, including European leaders, to follow his lead, break their silence, and act more decisively in support of the people of Iran," Pahlavi affirmed.
"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," referring to the nationwide suppression of internet access by the regime in an attempt to clamp down on protest activity and the spreading of anti-government footage.
Pahlavi warns regime: 'Trump, world watching you closely'
Pahlavi's praise for Trump was referring to a statement made earlier on Thursday, issuing a warning to the Islamic regime. In this statement, Pahlavi warned the regime that "the world and Trump are closely watching you."
"Suppression of the people will not go unanswered," Pahlavi added.
During an interview on the Hugh Hewitt show on Thursday, Trump said that if the Iranian regime forces "start killing people," the US will "hit them really hard."
When asked what point the US would intervene, given that over 30 protestors have been killed so far, Trump claimed that many protestors have been "killed by problems with crowd control" and that he "isn't sure [he] can necessarily hold somebody responsible for that."
Crowds of protesters fill the streets across Iran
Videos shared on social media showed crowds of protesters gathering in cities across Iran, chanting anti-regime slogans.
One such video, shared by an opposition-affiliated outlet, IranWire, showed a large crowd walking down Kashani Boulevard in Tehran.
Thousands of protestors filled the streets of Tehran, Shiraz, Kermanshah, Tabriz, and numerous other cities, with crowds walking between cars stopped on the road.
Unverified videos circulated by opposition outlets show protestors setting fire to a municipal building in Gorgan, a city to the northeast of Tehran.
In Shadabad, Tehran, videos emerged of protesters lighting fires, chanting "Long live the Shah."
On Wednesday, Pahlavi reiterated his call for nationwide protests across Iran, urging demonstrators to maintain their presence in the streets and warning that the regime may attempt to cut Internet access to stifle unrest.
In a message posted on social media, Pahlavi said that public participation across Iran earlier in the day had been “unprecedented,” describing it as a signal of readiness for the next phase of protests planned for Thursday evening.
“My fellow countrymen, today, Wednesday, January 7, your presence across Iran was unprecedented,” Pahlavi wrote. “And this constitutes a declaration of readiness for tomorrow’s plan.”
The prince referred to his earlier call for coordinated chanting and demonstrations at 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 8, with additional protests planned for 24 hours later, adding that reports indicated the Islamic Republic was “deeply frightened” and considering another nationwide Internet shutdown.
“Know that our communication will not be severed,” Pahlavi said, pointing to alternative channels including satellite internet access and Iran-based Persian-language television networks operating from abroad.
Regime shutting Internet signal start of harsher crackdowns
Pahlavi warned that any attempt by the regime to cut off Internet access would only further energize the protest movement.
“If the regime commits such a mistake and cuts the Internet, that itself will be another call to continue your presence and to take over the streets,” he wrote. “In this way, you will drive yet another nail into the coffin of this regime.”
Internet shutdowns by the regime often signal the beginning of harsher crackdowns in Iranian protests. The Islamic Republic previously imposed near-total Internet shutdowns during periods of unrest, including during the November 2019 protests and the 2022 demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini.
Pahlavi concluded his message with a note of confidence in the protest movement’s momentum, declaring: “You will be victorious. Long live Iran.”
The statement followed Pahlavi’s first direct call on Wednesday for coordinated protests, in which he urged Iranians to gather in large, disciplined numbers and appealed to members of Iran’s security forces to refrain from firing on demonstrators and instead “return to the embrace of the nation.”
At least 36 people have been killed since the protests began on December 28, including two members of the security forces, with demonstrations in scores of cities nationwide. More than 2,000 people have been arrested, according to reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned domestic suppliers against hoarding or overpricing goods, state media reported earlier on Thursday.
"People should not feel any shortage in terms of goods' supply and distribution," he said, calling upon his government to ensure an adequate supply of goods and the monitoring of prices across the country.
Reuters contributed to this report.