People gathered in the streets of Tehran on Thursday evening, according to witnesses, signaling a heightened phase of ongoing protests in Iran following a call by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi for a large-scale demonstration. Immediately after the protests commenced, internet access and phone lines in Iran were disconnected.
These protests marked the initial trial to determine if the Iranian populace could be influenced by Pahlavi, whose terminally ill father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, fled the country just before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and passed away in exile in 1980.
The demonstrations featured slogans in support of the shah, a sentiment that would have resulted in a death penalty in the past but now underscores the frustration driving protests that originated due to Iran’s struggling economy.
Thursday witnessed a continuation of the protests that emerged in various cities and rural areas across Iran on Wednesday. More markets and bazaars closed down in solidarity with the demonstrations.
The violence surrounding the protests has resulted in 41 fatalities so far, with over 2,270 individuals detained, as reported by the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
The escalation of the protests intensifies the pressure on Iran’s civilian government and its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
CloudFlare, an internet company, and the advocacy group NetBlocks confirmed the internet blackout, both attributing it to Iranian government intervention. Attempts to make phone calls from Dubai to Iran were unsuccessful.
Historically, such shutdowns have been followed by severe government crackdowns.
Meanwhile, the protests have maintained a decentralized leadership structure. The impact of Pahlavi’s call on the future trajectory of the demonstrations remains uncertain.
“The absence of a viable alternative has undermined previous protests in Iran,” noted Nate Swanson of the Washington-based Atlantic Council, an Iran expert.
“The growth of the protests increases the pressure on Iran’s civilian government and its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.”