Iran government defiant amid fears of massacres during internet blackout

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responded defiantly to Trump’s comments, posting on his Farsi-language X account an image depicting a crumbling statue bearing Trump’s likeness, amid apparent mass anti-interventionist protests in the country.

In the post, Khamenei compared US President Donald Trump to historical "tyrants and oppressors" who were eventually toppled.

"This one too will be overthrown," Iran's Supreme Leader posted. According to the US constitution, Trump cannot run for a third term and his tenure ends in 2029 when new presidential elections will take place.

It comes as mass demonstrations broke out in Iran due to a collapsing economy and political repression in the biggest threat to the regime in Tehran in years.

A massive security crackdown has reportedly seen hundreds of protesters killed and thousands detained, with the US threatening to intervene if the suppression continues sparking huge pro-government protests on Monday against Western intervention.

Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One, said it "looks like" Iran may have crossed a US red line by killing protesters, warning that the US military has "strong options" at its disposal.

He also claimed that Iranian leaders had contacted him to seek negotiations, though he cautioned that Washington could act before any meeting takes place.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the internet shutdown was imposed "for the security of the Iranian people and your security as well", while telling foreign diplomats that access would be restored.

He described the protests as a "terrorist war" and accused the United States and Israel of involvement, claims denied by Washington.

Meanwhile, Iran’s exiled former crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, who has become a figurehead for some activists, particularly those based abroad, called on protesters to escalate their actions.

In a statement posted on X, the US-based former royal urged demonstrators to regard state institutions involved in propaganda and communications shutdowns as "legitimate targets", while calling on security forces to defect.

Videos shared online showed anti-government activists raising the old flag of Iran, featuring the lion and the sun emblem associated with the autocratic monarchy of the Pahlavi dynasty that was overthrown in a popular revolution in 1979.

Despite government claims that the situation is under control, protests have continued across dozens of cities, driven initially by economic grievances before evolving into explicitly anti-government demonstrations.

Analysts say the ongoing blackout, rising death toll and international pressure have made control of information a central battleground in Iran’s unfolding crisis.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it has documented at least 544 deaths since protests began in late December, including protesters and members of the security forces, as well as more than 10,000 arrests.

Iranian authorities have not released official figures while the deaths reportred by monitors cannot be independently verified, in part due to the communications blackout.

Graphic videos circulating on social media purport to show rows of black body bags and bodies at or near morgues, with families searching for missing relatives.

The New Arab could not confirm the source and origins of the video, but internet monitoring and rights experts say the scale of the shutdown suggests there is an effort by authorities to prevent the spread of images and videos documenting mass killings and abuses.

Trump said on Monday that he is working to restore internet access inside Iran, as the country entered a fourth consecutive day of a nationwide blackout amid the deadliest wave of unrest since 2022.

Trump told reporters that he plans to speak with billionaire Elon Musk about restoring connectivity through Starlink after the Iranian government reportedly blocked the satellite service.

"He’s very good at this kind of thing, and he has a very good company," Trump said, referring to the Starlink network, which has previously been used during earlier waves of protests in Iran.

Online monitoring group NetBlocks said Iran’s "national internet blackout"  has now exceeded 84 hours, describing it as one of the most comprehensive shutdowns in years.

The blackout has coincided with rapidly spreading protests and growing concern among rights groups that authorities are attempting to choke the flow of information documenting violence on the streets.