Iran Protests and the Internet Blackout: What Happened

Large demonstrations began in Iran on December 28, 2025, after a rapid collapse of the national currency and a sharp rise in food and living costs. What started as protests over daily hardship has widened, touching provinces across the country and reaching major cities such as Tehran, Mashhad and Yasuj, where crowds demanded economic relief and political change.

On the evening of January 8, 2026, internet and mobile services were largely shut down, a move that has severely limited independent reporting and the flow of information. Human rights organizations have documented the unlawful use of firearms, shotguns loaded with metal pellets, tear gas, beatings and mass arbitrary arrests; some reports also describe raids on hospitals and attacks on medical staff, which raise grave concerns about protection of civilians.

Casualty and detention figures differ between monitors: some tallies exceed 500 deaths while other counts are lower, and more than 10,000 people have been detained in connection with the unrest. The United Nations and its independent fact-finding mission have urged Iranian authorities to restore internet access and to investigate claims of excessive force. 'All Iranians must be able to express their grievances peacefully and without fear.'

Because the blackout hinders outside scrutiny, patterns of abuse may be obscured and full verification will take time, even as rights groups continue to collect video, testimony and photographic evidence. Consequently, understanding the scope of the crisis depends on restoring communications, allowing journalists, investigators and families to learn what has happened. International human rights groups continue their investigations.