Iran's leaders will ‘pay hell’ if protesters are killed, Trump says

The shutdown, also confirmed by Tehran-based outlets, comes as anti-government protests continue to escalate and demonstrators take to the streets in the capital and nationwide despite deadly crackdowns by security forces.

“The incident follows a series of escalating digital censorship measures targeting protests across the country and hinders the public's right to communicate at a critical moment,” Netblocks added.

Iran has cut internet access before during mass unrest in 2022, 2019 and 2009. Those moves coincided with deadly attacks on demonstrators which ultimate quashed the protest movements.

Social media platforms are routinely difficult for Iranians to access even in normal times, with official curbs sending many users to virtual private networks, or VPNs, to bypass official censorship.

The "digital blackout", as described by Netblocks, started immediately after huge crowds of people took to the streets across the country heeding a call for nationwide protests at 8 pm by Prince Reza Pahlavi.

Iran is in the midst of a nationwide internet blackout, with live network metrics confirming a sharp drop in connectivity, internet monitoring group NetBlocks said in a post on X.

“The incident follows a series of escalating digital censorship measures targeting protests across the country and hinders the public's right to communicate at a critical moment,” Netblocks added.

Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi on Thursday warned the Islamic Republic’s leaders and the Revolutionary Guards against suppressing protesters, saying the world and US President Donald Trump are closely watching developments in the country.

“Great nation of Iran, the eyes of the world are fixed on you. Take to the streets and, in united ranks, shout your demands,” the prince said on X.

“I warn the Islamic Republic, its leader, and the Revolutionary Guards that the world and the US president are watching you closely. The suppression of the people will not go unanswered,” he added.

US President Donald Trump told the New York Times in an interview that his presidency could have been doomed if a daring US attack to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had failed.

Citing a failed bid by Democratic President Jimmy Carter to rescue US hostages in Iran on April 24, 1980, Trump said failure in Venezuela could have meant a “Jimmy Carter disaster. That destroyed his entire administration.”

That mission, aimed at freeing 52 American hostages seized at the US embassy in Tehran, failed when a US helicopter crashed into an aircraft, killing 8 soldiers.

“I don’t know that he would have won the election,” Trump said. “but he certainly had no chance after that disaster.”

As protests continue across Iran, separate reports and remarks have raised questions about potential contingency planning by Iran’s leadership, including allegations of Russian cargo flights to move assets and claims that officials are seeking overseas visas for their families.

In London, British lawmaker Tom Tugendhat told parliament there were reports of Russian cargo aircraft landing in Tehran and of large quantities of gold leaving the country. He asked whether the reports suggested that Iran’s leadership was preparing for a possible collapse.

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