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Iran Restricts Internet and Threatens 'Rioters' During Widening Unrest

Rights groups put the toll at 17–19 dead with hundreds arrested, including new shooting allegations in Malekshahi.

Overview

  • Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called economic grievances legitimate but said there would be no dialogue with 'troublemakers' and urged firm action.
  • Human-rights organizations including Hengaw and Iran Human Rights report at least 17–19 people killed and more than 500 arrests, figures that cannot be independently verified due to censorship.
  • Groups say Revolutionary Guard units opened fire on demonstrators in Malekshahi, killing at least four, while state media reported deaths among security forces and claimed an attempted attack on a police station.
  • Cloudflare data showed nationwide internet traffic fell by about one-third on Saturday and remained roughly 15% below normal on Sunday morning, complicating protest coordination and reporting.
  • Protests have spread from Tehran to dozens of cities with anti-leadership slogans, police have warned of potential 'armed uprisings,' and the UN special rapporteur urged authorities to avoid a repeat of the 2022 crackdown.