Iran protests Live Updates: Revolutionary Guards draw ‘red line’ on security as new mass rallies erupt in major cities

Iran protests live: Internet lines remain cut in Iran even as protests intensify in the country, according to Iran International. The communications blackout came after protests in Iran escalated after the call of former crown prince Reza Pahlavi, who called for people to take to streets on Thursday and Friday.

Iran protests live: Social media platform X has replaced the current Iran regime’s flag with the flag used before the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

The lion and sun flag, used before the overthrow of the Shah, features horizontal stripes of green, white, and red with a depiction of a sword-wielding lion in front of a sun in the center.

Nikita Bier, Head of Product at X, responded to a user’s request on X to change the flag with, “Give me a few hours.” Following this, Bier shared a link of the coding platform showing that the current flag had been deleted from X’s website code and replaced with the lion and sun flag.

Iran protests live: The United States has claimed that Iran is using foreigners to suppress the protests in the country.

The United States is alarmed by reports that the Islamic Republic regime has deployed Hezbollah terrorists and Iraqi militants to suppress peaceful protests. This regime has spent billions of dollars belonging to the Iranian people on terrorist proxy forces. Deploying those forces against its own citizens would be yet another profound betrayal of the Iranian people,” the US STtae Department’s Persian-language account posted on X.

Iran protests live: Dozens were feared dead even as Iran was hit by the largest anti-government demonstrations in years, Bloomberg reported.

Amid the internet and communications blackout in the country, social media footage trickling out of Iran showed hundreds of thousands marching and chanting slogans across the country.

US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency Friday said at least 65 persons were killed, and around 2,311 arrested since protests began on December 28.

Iran protests live: Major Iranian cities witnessed new mass rallies erupt overnight, with activists expressing fear that authorities had intensified efforts to suppress the agitation under the guise of the internet blackout, AFP news agency reported.

After Thursday saw the largest protests in the two-week agitation which began on December 28 with the shutting of the Tehran Bazaar, new demonstrations started on Friday, according to images verified by AFP and videos posted on social media. HT.com has not independently verified the authenticity of the photos and videos.

Iran protests live: Iranian prize-winning filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Jafar Panahi alleged that the authorities in Iran were using the “most blatant tools of repression” to crack down on protestors, AFP reported.

The filmmakers, on Pahani’s Instagram account, said, “Experience has shown that resorting to such measures is intended to conceal the violence inflicted during the suppression of protests.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Saturday warned that safeguarding security was a “red line”, amid growing protests in the country, Reuters reported.

This came after the country’s military vowed to “resolutely protect and safeguard national interests, the country’s strategic infrastructure, and public property.”

Iran protests live: United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday supported the people of Iran, amid protests in the country over economic woes.

“The United States supports the brave people of Iran,” Rubio said in a post on X.

Iran protests live: The protests in Iran begun over the economic shortcomings in the country, triggered by the collapse of the currency Rial and the soaring inflation.

However, in the two weeks since it began on December 28, the protests have taken on a political tone, with demonstrators urging the stepping down of the clerical rulers, Reuters reported.

Iran’s military has accused Israel and “hostile terrorist groups”, alleging they were seeking to “undermine the country’s public security”, according to a statement published by semi-official news sites, Reuters reported.

“The Army, under the command of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, together with other armed forces, in addition to monitoring enemy movements in the region, will resolutely protect and safeguard national interests, the country’s strategic infrastructure, and public propert,” the army said.

Iran protests live: Even as unrest in Iran continued overnight, the state broadcaster reported that a municipal building had been set on fire in Karaj, west of Tehran. The state TV blamed ‘rioters’ for the incident, Reuters reported.

The state TV also broadcast a footage of what it said were funerals of members of the security forces who were killed in protests in the cities of Shiraz, Qom and Hamedan, according to Reuters.

Iran protests live: Videos of the protests in Iran on Friday night have surfaced. The demonstrations were called by exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, and have drawn large crowds.

One of the videos shows people chanting “Long live the King” in Heravi Square, while another showed residents of Dolat neighbourhood chanting ‘Freedom’ in the streets, Iran International reported. HT.com has not independently verified these videos.

Iran protests live: According to the state broadcaster in Iran, several schools and universities in the country held online classes on Saturday, which is the start of the work week in Iran.

Meanwhile, the state TV repeatedly played a driving, martial orchestral arrangement from the from the “Epic of Khorramshahr” by Iranian composer Majid Entezami, while showing pro-government demonstrations, AP reported.

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday asserted that conditions in the country are stable, despite the sanctions and economic shortcomings, Iran International reported.

“The situation in Iran overall is good, although there are problems due to sanctions and economic shortcomings,” Araghchi said.

Iran protests live: Iran’s army vowed on Saturday to safeguard the country’s national interests, strategic infrastructure and public property, amid widespread anti-government protests.

It also urged citizens in a statement to be vigilant to thwart what it called “the enemy’s plots” as the protests continue.

Iran protests live: The US-based son of Iran’s ousted shah urged Iranians on Saturday to stage more targeted protests with the aim of taking and then holding city centres.

“Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres,” Reza Pahlavi said in a video message on social media, urging more protests on Saturday and Sunday and adding he was also “preparing to return to my homeland” in a day he believed was “very near”.

As massive protests continue to take over the streets of Iran amid US President Donald Trump’s threats, visuals of women lighting cigarettes using burnt photographs of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have gone viral on social media. The protests have turned violent as the death toll has increased, while authorities have shut down the internet and cut telephone lines off from the world. Read what’s behind the new form of protest

A “nationwide internet blackout” implemented by the Iranian authorities as protesters take to the streets has now been in place for 36 hours, monitor Netblocks said on Saturday.

“After another night of protests met with repression, metrics show the nationwide internet blackout remains in place at 36 hours,” it said in a post on X.

Iran protests live: Iran’s leadership responded to the swelling protests by cutting off internet and international phone access nationwide, a move widely seen as an attempt to hide a growing crackdown. Rights groups say at least 65 people have been killed and more than 2,300 detained, while videos show fires, chanting crowds and security forces using live fire in some areas.

Iran protests live: As unrest spread, US President Donald Trump warned Iran that killing protesters would trigger a severe response, saying the US would hit the regime “very, very hard where it hurts.” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei fired back, accusing demonstrators of trying to please Washington and vowing they would be dealt with.

Iran protests live: US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the situation in Iran is being monitored very closely and hoped for the protestors in the country to be safe. He warned that if protestors were killed, the US would get involved and would hit the country where it hurts.

“Iran’s in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible. We’re watching the situation very carefully. I made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts, and that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very hard where it hurts so we don’t want that to happen,” Trump said.

Iran protests live: The unrest first erupted in Tehran’s bazaars over soaring inflation, but it has since swept across the country and evolved into a broader challenge to the ruling establishment. Anger intensified last week after the prices of essentials such as cooking oil and chicken surged overnight, with some items disappearing from store shelves altogether.

Iran protests live: In a joint statement on Friday, the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union issued a strong condemnation and called on Iran to “immediately end the use of excessive and lethal force by its security forces”.

“Too many lives – over 40 to date – have already been lost. The Iranian regime has the responsibility to protect its own population and must allow for the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisal,” the statement read.

Iran protests live: As Iran continues to crack down on demonstrators, including shutting down the internet and cutting telephone lines off to the world, US secretary of state Marco Rubio posted on X, “The United States supports the brave people of Iran.”

On Friday, US President Donald Trump said Iran’s leadership appeared to be “in big trouble” and again warned of military action if peaceful protesters are killed.

Iran protests live: Exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi called on Iranians to return to the streets on Saturday and Sunday evenings, urging demonstrators to continue their momentum after mass protests on Thursday and Friday. He said millions had responded to his earlier calls, delivering a powerful message to Iran’s leadership.