Iran’s near-total internet blackout continued on Saturday as the country’s supreme leader warned of a harsher crackdown on a growing wave of protests.
In his first public address since demonstrations began on 28 December, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the Islamic Republic would “not back down”, accusing protesters of acting on behalf of foreign powers and blaming US president Donald Trump for unrest driven by Iran’s economic crisis.
Trump warned Khamenei that the US will “start shooting” if demonstrators in Iran are targeted by government forces as nationwide protests demanding regime change continued into their 13th day.
At least 62 people have been killed since the protests began, according to the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), which said the dead included 48 protesters and 14 security personnel.
Protesters have chanted “death to Khamenei” in cities across the country, including after calls by the son of the toppled former leader Shah Reza Pahlavi for Iranians to take to the streets. Authorities have maintained a nationwide internet shutdown, severely restricting information flowing out of the country.
Khamenei said demonstrators were “ruining their own streets” to please foreign leaders.
