Iran plunged into internet blackout as protests over economy spread nationwide
Iran plunged into internet blackout as protests over economy spread nationwide
A sweeping internet outage hits Iran as protests over the economy spread nationwide, putting pressure on leadership amid reports of casualties and a broad crackdown.
Iran was plunged into a near-total internet blackout on Thursday night as protests over the economy spread nationwide, heightening pressure on the country's leadership.
The outage was first noted in the western city of Kermanshah, with authorities suspected of pulling the plug as crackdowns intensified in recent days.
Rights monitors said at least 45 protesters have been killed since demonstrations began in late December, including eight children, with hundreds more wounded and thousands arrested.
Shopkeepers heeded calls from Kurdish political groups for a general strike, closing their doors in Kurdish regions and in dozens of other cities.
Protests reached all 31 provinces, and in the southern Fars province a statue of Qassem Suleimani was toppled by demonstrators.
The crackdown was described as increasingly violent and extensive by rights groups, though official casualty tallies vary.
With the internet largely offline, information from the ground is harder to verify, as authorities appear determined to quell the uprising.
