Iran was plunged into near isolation on Friday after authorities shut down internet access and disrupted communications nationwide in an effort to contain the country's most serious wave of protests in years, triggered by economic collapse and rising public anger.
Speaking in a televised address, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused demonstrators of serving foreign interests, directly blaming President Donald Trump for what he described as orchestrated violence against public property. He warned that the state would not tolerate unrest carried out by what he called "mercenaries for outsiders."
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Protests that began over soaring prices and the collapse of the rial have since spread across all provinces, with rights groups reporting dozens of deaths. State media aired images of burning vehicles, damaged banks and metro stations, while officials described scenes in some cities as resembling a battlefield.
The unrest has also exposed fractures beyond Iran's borders. Exiled opposition figures urged Iranians to keep protesting, but Trump distanced himself from monarchist leaders abroad, signalling uncertainty in Washington's stance even as Tehran frames the crisis as foreign interference.
With international sanctions reimposed over Iran's nuclear programme and inflation running above 40%, the government now faces a volatile mix of economic distress and political defiance. While authorities insist peaceful economic grievances are legitimate, the sweeping communications blackout and heavy security response suggest fears the protests could escalate further.