New Trump warning as Iran cuts internet with protests across country

By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI, Jan 9 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new warning to Iran’s leaders on Friday as videos showed anti-government protests raging across the country, and authorities blacked out the internet to curb growing unrest.

Rights groups have documented dozens of deaths of protesters in nearly two weeks and, with Iranian state TV showing clashes and fires, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that several police officers had been killed overnight.

Trump, who bombed Iran last summer and warned Tehran last week the U.S. could come to the protesters’ aid issued another warning on Friday, saying: “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too.”

“I just hope the protesters in Iran are going to be safe, because that’s a very dangerous place right now,” he added.

However Trump said on Thursday he was not inclined to meet Reza Pahlavi, the U.S.-based crown prince and son of the late Shah of Iran, a sign that he was waiting to see how the crisis plays out before backing an opposition leader. 

In a televised address, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to back down, accusing demonstrators of acting on behalf of opposition groups abroad and the United States, and a public prosecutor threatened death sentences.

Iran’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology said the decision to shut down the internet was made “by the competent security authorities under the prevailing circumstances of the country.”

DOZENS KILLED IN TWO WEEKS OF PROTEST

The protests pose the biggest internal challenge in at least three years to Iran’s clerical rulers, who look more vulnerable than during past bouts of unrest amid a dire economic situation and after last year’s war with Israel and the United States. 

While the initial protests focused on the economy, with the rial losing half its value against the dollar last year and inflation topping 40% in December, they have morphed to include slogans aimed directly at the authorities. 

Iranian rights group HRANA said on Friday it had documented at least 62 deaths, including 14 security personnel and 48 protesters, since demonstrations began on December 28.

The leaders of France, Britain and Germany issued a joint statement on Friday condemning the killing of protesters and urged the Iranian authorities to restrain from violence.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations was very disturbed by the loss of life.

“People anywhere in the world have a right to demonstrate peacefully, and governments have a responsibility to protect that right and to ensure that that right is respected,” he said.

The internet blackout has sharply reduced the amount of information flowing out of Iran and phone calls to the country were not getting through. At least 17 flights between Dubai and Iran were cancelled, Dubai Airport’s website showed.

Images published by state television showed what it said were burning buses, cars and motorbikes as well as fires at underground railway stations and banks. 

Videos verified by Reuters showed hundreds of people marching in Tehran. In one, a woman could be heard shouting, “Death to Khamenei!” 

Other chants included slogans in support of the monarchy, overthrown in 1979. 

Iranian rights group Hengaw reported that a protest march after Friday prayers in Zahedan, where the Baluch minority predominates, was met with gunfire that wounded several people.

A video posted on social media purported to show demonstrators in the southern city of Shiraz chanting, “This is the year of blood, Seyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown.”

Other videos on social media purported to show protests late on Friday in the northeastern city of Mashhad and in several parts of Tehran.

Reuters could not immediately verify these videos.

Authorities have tried a dual approach – describing protests over the economy as legitimate while condemning what they call violent rioters and cracking down with security forces. 

Last week, President Masoud Pezeshkian urged authorities to take a “kind and responsible approach”, and the government offered modest financial incentives to help counter worsening impoverishment as inflation has soared. 

But with unrest spreading and clashes appearing more violent, the Supreme Leader, the ultimate authority in Iran, above the elected president and parliament, used much tougher language on Friday.

“The Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of hundreds of thousands of honourable people. It will not back down in the face of vandals,” he said, accusing those involved in unrest of seeking to please Trump.

Iran’s United Nations ambassador accused Washington of “destabilizing practices” blamed it for “the transformation of peaceful protests into violent, subversive acts.”    

Tehran’s public prosecutor said those committing sabotage or engaging in clashes with security forces would face the death penalty. 

FRAGMENTED OPPOSITION 

Iran’s fragmented external opposition factions called for more protests and Pahlavi told Iranians on social media: “The eyes of the world are upon you. Take to the streets.” 

“The sense of hopelessness in Iranian society is something today that we haven’t seen before. I mean, that sense of anger has just deepened over the years and we are at record new levels in terms of how Iranian society is upset,” said Alex Vatanka of Washington’s Middle East Institute.

However, the extent of support inside Iran for the monarchy or for the MKO, the most vocal of émigré opposition groups, is disputed.  

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday the chance of foreign military intervention was “very low.” He said the foreign minister of Oman, which has often interceded in negotiations between Iran and the West, would visit on Saturday.

Iran has weathered repeated past bouts of major unrest, including student protests in 1999, over a disputed election in 2009, against economic hardships in 2019, and the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests.

The 2022 protests, sparked by the killing of a young woman in the custody of the Islamic morality police drew men and women, old and young, rich and poor onto the streets. 

They were ultimately suppressed, with hundreds reported killed and thousands imprisoned, but authorities also ceded some ground with women now routinely disobeying public dress codes.

(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi and Dubai Newsroom; additional reporting by Michelle Nicholas at the United Nations and Vinaya K and Marine Delrue; writing by Angus McDowall and David Brunnstrom; editing by William Maclean, Rod Nickel and Alistair Bell)