Iran Shuts Down Internet Amid Deadly Nationwide Protests

Published JAN 9

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Above: Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran, on Jan. 8. Image credit: Kamran/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Iranian authorities are brutally crushing peaceful protests with live ammunition, teargas and mass arrests, killing at least 36 people including children while demonstrators demand an end to government corruption and economic devastation. The regime's violent crackdown has only intensified public anger, transforming initial economic grievances into broader calls for political change as the currency collapses and food prices skyrocket 72% in a year.

Guardian

Reza Pahlavi on X

Foreign interference from hostile powers like the USU.S. is deliberately inciting violence and spreading misinformation to destabilize Iran, exploiting legitimate economic concerns caused primarily by American sanctions. The Constitution protects peaceful protest, and authorities are working within legal frameworks to address demands while defending against external attempts to weaponize demonstrations into terrorism through psychological warfare.

Anadolu Agency

Ali Larijani on X

Metaculus Prediction

There is 10% chance that, if there is an American AUMF or declaration of war against Iran before 2030, the U.S. will control Tehran within one year, according to the Metaculus prediction community.