Iran Protests Continue Amid Internet Disruption and Arrests

Tehran, Iran – Internet disruptions have been reported in Iran amid ongoing protests across the country. According to data from US-based global internet infrastructure and cybersecurity company Cloudflare, there was an average 35 percent lower traffic volume in Iran compared with previous days.

Iranian authorities have shut down or slowed connectivity levels during previous rounds of protests, limiting users to a localised intranet. In mid-June, internet connectivity came to a near-complete halt for several days during the height of the war with Israel and the United States.

Protests began last Sunday among traders and salesmen in downtown Tehran and have since spread to cities across the country. At least 10 people have been killed during the demonstrations. The deaths include a young business owner in Hamedan, western Iran, who was reportedly killed by “enemies” according to regional governor Hamzeh Amraei.

State media reported that another person, a 17-year-old boy, was shot dead, with security official Morteza Heydari attributing the incident to “hostile elements”. A veteran member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was also reportedly killed by armed and masked men in Malekshahi, central province of Ilam.

Multiple protests have been confirmed in the province of Lorestan, western Iran. The provincial branch of the IRGC announced that three major leaders of the recent riots were arrested. State television aired alleged confessions of Iranian men with blindfolds or blurred out faces, claiming they were armed or in contact with foreign agents.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the nation on Saturday, blaming foreign influence for the unrest. US President Donald Trump had previously stated that he would “come to the rescue” of Iranian protesters if they were killed. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded by referencing US backing for Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Iranian authorities organised a large gathering in downtown Tehran on Saturday evening, with thousands of people in attendance displaying religious imagery to mark a national holiday commemorating Ali ibn Abi Talib.

Source: Al Jazeera