Pahlavi had called for demonstrations at 8 p.m. local time on Thursday and Friday. (Photo: X/Iranreal)
Iran was hit by a communication blackout on Thursday night as internet access and telephone lines were cut amid the rising anger against the civilian government and Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
CloudFlare, an internet firm, and the advocacy group NetBlocks reported the internet outage, both attributing it to Iranian government interference. Such outages have in the past been followed by intense government crackdowns against protests in Iran.
Reza Pahlavi calls for mass demonstrations
Thursday night’s internet blackout coincided with a call by Reza Pahlavi, the crown prince of the erstwhile Shah dynasty, for a mass demonstration in the country.
Reza Pahlavi is the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, who fled the country due to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Why are Iranians protesting
In recent years, the rising cost of living crisis that has been exacerbated by crippling US sanctions and rising threats from Israel, the nearly five-decade-long rule of the Ayatollahs has come under threat.
A large section of the protesters is also expressing their support for the Shah, something that could bring a death sentence in the past but now underlines the anger fueling the protests that began over Iran’s ailing economy.
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Protesters cheer for Shah
Pahlavi had called for demonstrations at 8 p.m. local time on Thursday and Friday. When the clock struck, neighbourhoods across Tehran erupted in chanting, witnesses said. The chants included “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to the Islamic Republic!”
Others praised the shah, shouting: “This is the last battle! Pahlavi will return!” Thousands could be seen on the streets.
What Pahlavi said
“Great nation of Iran, the eyes of the world are upon you. Take to the streets and, as a united front, shout your demands,” Pahlavi said in a statement.
“I warn the Islamic Republic, its leader, and the (Revolutionary Guard) that the world and (President Donald Trump) are closely watching you. Suppression of the people will not go unanswered.”
Pahlavi had said he would offer further plans depending on the response to his call.
The current protests, the biggest in the Islamic Republic in three years, which began in late December, were started by a group of traders in Tehran, but soon spread to universities and rural Iran.
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So far, violence around the demonstrations has killed at least 39 people, while more than 2,260 others have been detained, said the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Iran vs Trump
Trump warned last week that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” America will come to their rescue.”
Trump’s comments drew a new rebuke from Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
“Recalling the long history of criminal interventions by successive US administrations in Iran’s internal affairs, the Foreign Ministry considers claims of concern for the great Iranian nation to be hypocritical, aimed at deceiving public opinion and covering up the numerous crimes committed against Iranians,” it said.
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