Thursday, January 8, 2026

Iran shuts down internet nationwide as Pahlavi warns regime Trump is 'watching closely' - Alex Winston, Jerusalem Post Staff

 

​ by Alex Winston, Jerusalem Post Staff

Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urged demonstrators to maintain their presence in the streets, warning the regime may attempt to cut Internet access to stifle unrest.

 

Iranians seen protesting in the streets of Tehran on January 8, 2026.
Iranians seen protesting in the streets of Tehran on January 8, 2026.
(photo credit: SOCIAL MEDIA/VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT)

 

Tehran and several other parts of Iran experienced a digital blackout on Thursday as internet connectivity dropped across multiple service providers, internet monitoring group NetBlocks said, during nationwide protests against economic hardships.

Two Iranian regime officers were killed during protests in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported, citing Iranian state media.

Earlier on Thursday, Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi issued a warning to the Islamic regime, stating that "the world and [US President Donald Trump] are closely watching you.

"Suppression of the people will not go unanswered," Pahlavi added.

During an interview on the Hugh Hewitt show, Trump said that if the Iranian regime forces "start killing people," the US will "hit them really hard."

When asked what point the US would intervene, given that over 30 protestors have been killed so far, Trump claimed that many protestors have been "killed by problems with crowd control" and that he "isn't sure [he] can necessarily hold somebody responsible for that."

Crowds of protestors fill the streets across Iran

Videos shared on social media showed crowds of protesters gathering in cities across Iran, chanting anti-regime slogans.

One such video, shared by an opposition-affiliated outlet, IranWire, showed a large crowd walking down Kashani Boulevard in Tehran.

Thousands of protestors filled the streets of Tehran, Shiraz, Kermanshah, Tabriz, and numerous other cities, with crowds walking between cars stopped on the road.

On Wednesday, Pahlavi reiterated his call for nationwide protests across Iran, urging demonstrators to maintain their presence in the streets and warning that the regime may attempt to cut Internet access to stifle unrest.

In a message posted on social media, Pahlavi said that public participation across Iran earlier in the day had been “unprecedented,” describing it as a signal of readiness for the next phase of protests planned for Thursday evening.

“My fellow countrymen, today, Wednesday, January 7, your presence across Iran was unprecedented,” Pahlavi wrote. “And this constitutes a declaration of readiness for tomorrow’s plan.”

The prince referred to his earlier call for coordinated chanting and demonstrations at 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 8, with additional protests planned for 24 hours later, adding that reports indicated the Islamic Republic was “deeply frightened” and considering another nationwide Internet shutdown.

“Know that our communication will not be severed,” Pahlavi said, pointing to alternative channels including satellite internet access and Iran-based Persian-language television networks operating from abroad.

Regime shutting Internet signal start of harsher crackdowns

Pahlavi warned that any attempt by the regime to cut off Internet access would only further energize the protest movement.

“If the regime commits such a mistake and cuts the Internet, that itself will be another call to continue your presence and to take over the streets,” he wrote. “In this way, you will drive yet another nail into the coffin of this regime.”

Internet shutdowns by the regime often signal the beginning of harsher crackdowns in Iranian protests. The Islamic Republic previously imposed near-total Internet shutdowns during periods of unrest, including during the November 2019 protests and the 2022 demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini.

Pahlavi concluded his message with a note of confidence in the protest movement’s momentum, declaring: “You will be victorious. Long live Iran.”

The statement followed Pahlavi’s first direct call on Wednesday for coordinated protests, in which he urged Iranians to gather in large, disciplined numbers and appealed to members of Iran’s security forces to refrain from firing on demonstrators and instead “return to the embrace of the nation.”

At least 36 people have been killed since the protests began on December 28, including two members of the security forces, with demonstrations in scores of cities nationwide. More than 2,000 people have been arrested, according to reports.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned domestic suppliers against hoarding or overpricing goods, state media reported earlier on Thursday.

"People should not feel any shortage in terms of goods' supply and distribution," he said, calling upon his government to ensure an adequate supply of goods and the monitoring of prices across the country.


Alex Winston, Jerusalem Post Staff

Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-882714

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