> At a Glance
> – Protesters ignored threats of death penalty charges across Iran
> – 100 arrested in Tehran province alone
> – Videos show crowds chanting against Supreme Leader Khamenei
> – Why it matters: Demonstrations morphed into biggest challenge to Islamic Republic in 47 years
Iranians poured into streets late Friday despite prosecutors labeling them “enemies of God”-a death-penalty charge-and warnings from rights groups about undocumented killings.
The Escalation
President Trump warned the Islamic regime against shooting demonstrators. “I tell the Iranian leaders – you better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting, too,” he told oil executives.
Supreme Leader Khamenei drew a hard line in a fiery speech, saying the Republic would not back down. Analysts predict this will drive security forces to lash out even more violently.
The Numbers
- 100 arrested in Tehran province for “disrupting public order”
- 51 killed across 11 provinces, including 8 children
- 2 weeks of protests since currency crash triggered demonstrations
| Province | Deaths | Children |
|---|---|---|
| Tehran | 12 | 2 |
| Mashhad | 15 | 3 |
| Karaj | 24 | 3 |
The Videos
Geolocated clips showed huge crowds in Mashhad and Tehran chanting slogans against Khamenei. One clip from Saadat Abad reached NBC via Starlink-Elon Musk’s satellite service smuggled into Iran during previous protests.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam of Iran Human Rights said:
> “Right now, we are very concerned that after the internet shutdown the brutality will increase.”
Amnesty International posted:
> “The Iranian authorities have once again deliberately blocked internet access inside Iran to hide the true extent of the grave human rights violations.”
Key Takeaways
- Demonstrations started with economic grievances over currency crash
- Now morphed into biggest challenge to Islamic Republic in 47 years
- Security forces likely unleashed fierce crackdown nationwide
- Internet blackout designed to hide violations
- Trump and Western leaders warning against killing protesters
The protests show no signs of stopping, with analysts noting the state can repress but fails to address underlying grievances.
