Protests spread across Iran on Thursday night as demonstrators took to the streets in Tehran and several other cities following a call for mass action by exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, according to witnesses.
Residents reported chanting from rooftops and street gatherings in the capital before internet access and telephone services were abruptly disrupted. The Associated Press said the communications blackout began shortly after the protests started, a move often used by Iranian authorities during periods of unrest.
The demonstrations mark a significant escalation in protests that have spread nationwide in recent days, largely fueled by public anger over Iran’s deepening economic crisis. They also represent the first major test of Pahlavi’s ability to mobilize support inside the country decades after his father was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Unrest had already broken out on Wednesday in several cities and rural towns, with markets and bazaars closing in solidarity with protesters. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that at least 41 people have been killed and more than 2,270 detained since the protests began.
The growing demonstrations have intensified pressure on Iran’s civilian government and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Internet monitoring groups Cloudflare and NetBlocks confirmed widespread network disruptions, attributing them to state interference. International calls to Iranian landlines and mobile phones, including from Dubai, also failed to connect—an action that has historically preceded harsher crackdowns.
Despite their scale, the protests remain largely leaderless, raising questions about their long-term direction. Analysts note that previous movements in Iran have struggled due to the absence of a unified leadership, as security forces have systematically arrested or forced into exile many potential opposition figures.
Pahlavi had called for demonstrations at 8 p.m. local time on Thursday and Friday. Witnesses said chants echoed across Tehran neighborhoods, including slogans such as “Death to the dictator” and “Death to the Islamic Republic,” while some demonstrators expressed support for the former monarchy.
In a statement, Pahlavi urged Iranians to continue protesting, saying the world was watching. He warned that any violent suppression by authorities would not go unnoticed internationally.
Iranian officials have not acknowledged the full extent of the protests, though state and semi-official media reported casualties among security personnel. Judicial and security-linked outlets said several officers were killed or wounded in separate attacks across multiple provinces.
Iran has experienced repeated waves of nationwide protests in recent years, driven by economic hardship, political repression and social grievances. The latest unrest follows the collapse of the rial in December to around 1.4 million to the dollar amid intensified sanctions and post-war economic strain.
U.S. President Donald Trump last week warned that Washington would respond if Iranian authorities violently suppressed peaceful protesters. Iran’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the comments as hypocritical, accusing the United States of exploiting the situation for political purposes.
Meanwhile, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi remains imprisoned following her arrest in December. Her son said the current protests echo previous uprisings in 2009 and 2019, arguing that demonstrators are once again demanding an end to Iran’s clerical rule and authoritarian system.
