Iran protests: Internet blackout as massive protests over economy break out in Tehran
Independent18 hrs
Iran Shuts Down Internet Amid Deadly Nationwide Protests
Are Iranian protests being brutally crushed by the regime, or are they being exploited by foreign powers to destabilize Iran?
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
Anti-Iran narrative
Iranian authorities are brutally crushing peaceful protests with live ammunition, teargas and mass arrests, killing dozens of 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.
Pro-Iran narrative
Foreign interference from hostile powers like the U.S. is 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.
Establishment-critical narrative
Trump's threats to "rescue" Iranian protesters are reckless interventionism that puts the U.S. and Iran on an unnecessary collision course. Decades of American sanctions and attacks have made 70% of Iranians view the U.S. very unfavorably — protesters don't need threats from the government that's tormented them for years. Washington has no right to bomb countries over internal protests, yet Trump's first instinct is always to reach for violence, betraying his antiwar campaign rhetoric.
Metaculus Prediction
Public Figures
The Controversies
Establishment split
CRITICAL
PRO
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0