Iran's supreme leader has condemned anti-government protests, denouncing demonstrators as vandals and saboteurs. Iran has shut down the internet and cut off international calls and is promising decisive punishment.

Tehran

Protests have erupted across Iran, with demonstrators in cities such as Tehran, Borozhet, Khorramabad, and Tabriz calling for an end to the Islamic Republic and clashing with security forces. Videos shared before internet restrictions showed large crowds, anti-government chants, and the use of pre-revolutionary symbols, while exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi urged continued demonstrations.

In response, Iran's Supreme Leader appeared before his followers, condemning the protests and labeling participants as harmful to the country. Reports indicate escalating violence, including the use of tear gas or chemical agents by security forces, as the government seeks to suppress the unrest. The situation has left Iranians both inside and outside the country concerned about further developments.

Iran's Supreme Leader defiant as protests grow

I am not afraid, this woman shouts, I have been dead for 47 years. The images circulating on social media reportedly from a protest in Borozhet in western Iran. There people took to the streets, despite the risks, calling for an end of the Islamic Republic and then later fought against its security forces. Videos spread before the internet was cut off show massive demonstrations across the entire country. In the capital Tehran, people shouted death to the dictator. In Khorramabad in the west, they raised the national flag used before the Islamic Republic and in Tabriz in the north, there were Javid Shah Chan's Long Live the Shah, meaning Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last Shah who lives in US exile. He called for Iranians to take to the streets and has renewed that call. Those of you who were hesitant, join your compatriots on Friday night and make the crowd even larger, so that the regime's repressive power becomes even weaker. I also invite field leaders to try to connect different crowd routes and make them bigger. I know that despite the internet and communication cuts, you will not abandon the streets. Be assured that victory belongs to you. All of this prompted Iran's supreme leader to make an appearance in front of his followers, condemning the nationwide protests and denouncing protesters as troublemakers who are harmful to the country. The Islamic Republic was established with the blood of several hundred thousand honorable people and it will not back down in the face of those who engage in destruction, nor will it tolerate mercenaries serving foreign powers. It's a narrative many fear could potentially pave the way for further violence against protesters. Videos posted on social media right before Iran went offline appear to show clashes between demonstrators and regime forces. There was a lot of tear gas. People call it tear gas. We don't know what sort of gas it is. It's some form of chemical agent that they are heavily deploying in the streets across the country. I had several reports from several locations inside Iran that people reported the same thing. It is getting more and more violent because the government is realizing that people are not going to back down. With Iran now isolated, Iranians around the world are worried what might be happening inside their country.

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Breakdown