Iran shuts down internet amid protest groundswell – monitoring group

A nationwide internet blackout was reported in Iran on Thursday, global monitoring group NetBlocks said. Protests have been erupting across the country since late December, prompted by hyperinflation and an enduring economic crisis in the sanctioned Islamic republic. No further information on the internet outage was immediately available. The nationwide unrest, the worst in recent years, rapidly spread to multiple cities and reportedly led to deadly clashes with the Iranian authorities, with some protesters demanding the reinstatement of the monarchy. Reports say at least 21 people have been killed during the protests. Tasnim news agency has also posted a video from Qazvin city in the northern part of the country, appearing to show a brutal attack on a security officer. According to the outlet’s sources, the officer was not armed and “was only inviting the people present in the street to express their protest without insults and damage to public property.” President Masoud Pezeshkian warned domestic suppliers against hoarding or overpricing goods, state media reported on Thursday. He said people should not experience shortages and urged the government to ensure sufficient supplies and closely monitor prices nationwide. However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that rioters must be “put in their place.” The country’s top judge has also accused the demonstrators of “operating in line” with the United States and Israel.