Internet and Phone Lines Cut Across Iran as Protests Expand

On Thursday, January 8, authorities in Iran sharply curtailed internet connectivity and disrupted phone service across multiple regions as demonstrations surged in Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, and other cities. Footage posted from the capital showed overturned or burned vehicles on thoroughfares, while additional clips pointed to attacks on local offices of the state broadcaster. Activist networks described tens of thousands marching, chanting against repression and corruption as unrest that began in late December accelerated into the new year.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry came under fresh scrutiny online as international messages of solidarity in Farsi reached demonstrators even amid the blackout. Rights organizations denounced the growing use of force, and expatriate figures urged sustained, coordinated protest activity. Local reports also spoke of casualties among security personnel, underscoring the combustible dynamic on the ground. The clampdown on connectivity—long used by the regime to impede mobilization and documentation—served as a stark indicator that harder measures could be imminent.

Analysts noted that choking off communications is a hallmark of crisis management for the Islamic Republic, intended to fragment crowds and obstruct the documentation of abuses. Yet each blackout also feeds public fury and international scrutiny. With inflation and shortage pressures squeezing households, the resolve behind the demonstrations appears rooted in daily realities as much as in political demands. The next phase will hinge on whether authorities escalate, relent, or sit in a grinding stalemate with a populace determined to be heard.

(JPost/VFI News)

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” – Amos 5:24