Iran regime cuts nationwide internet access as protests claim 44 lives across major cities

Iran has been plunged into a nationwide net blackout arsenic anti-regime protests intensify, severely restricting connection crossed the state arsenic demonstrations participate their 2nd week and the decease toll reaches 44, according to reports.

Live web information from NetBlocks showed net postulation collapsing successful the troubled federation connected Thursday evening, soon aft calls circulated for wide protests astatine 8 p.m. section time.

Before quality of the latest killings came in, President Donald Trump, successful an interrogation with Hugh Hewitt connected Thursday, erstwhile again warned the authorities if they commencement sidesplitting radical that "they volition beryllium deed precise hard." 

Asked by Hewitt if helium had a connection for the Iranian people, Trump said: You should consciousness powerfully astir freedom. There’s thing similar freedom. You’re brave people."

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The State Department's Persian provender connected X besides restated his informing from his interrogation with Hugh Hewitt astir the authorities successful Farsi. 

Ali Safavi, a subordinate of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital that the net shutdown began earlier successful the day.

"Around 1 p.m. section time, the net postulation dropped," helium said, adding that determination were wide reports "that the authorities had chopped disconnected the internet."

NetBlocks said the outage followed "a bid of escalating integer censorship measures targeting protests crossed the country," portion the Associated Press reported that telephone lines were besides chopped successful parts of Iran.

Safavi said the blackout coincided with convulsive confrontations successful respective regions.

Protesters clasp signs during a objection successful Iran amid ongoing unrest, according to images released by the Iranian absorption radical National Council of Resistance of Iran. (NCRI )

"The net was chopped disconnected successful Lordegan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces arsenic battles erupted," helium said.

He besides pointed to unrest successful Isfahan, Iran’s third-largest metropolis with astir 2.3 cardinal residents, saying, "State vigor and the TV presumption were acceptable connected occurrence by rebellious youth."

As the communications blackout deepened, the confirmed decease toll from the unrest roseate sharply.

The NCRI reported connected Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, that astatine slightest 44 protesters had been killed by Iranian information forces since the uprising began.

IRAN’S KHAMENEI LASHES OUT AT PROTESTERS AS NATIONWIDE ANTI-REGIME UNREST GROWS

Iranian demonstrations intensify for 12th time arsenic demonstrators damaging authorities buildings crossed provinces. (The National Council of Resistance of Iran)

The radical announced the names of 13 further victims that day, describing them arsenic "martyrs" of the nationwide uprising.

Seven of those recently identified were from Lordegan, including a pistillate and 2 teenagers. 

According to the NCRI, the victims were killed by the Revolutionary Guards and different information forces utilizing unrecorded ammunition.

The protests were sparked successful December by the illness of Iran’s currency and soaring inflation, but they person since evolved into a broader question demanding the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.

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Iranian protesters effort to instrumentality power of 2 cities successful occidental Iran arsenic nationwide unrest continues, with demonstrators chanting 'Death to Khamenei' successful the streets. (Getty)

The unrest entered its 12th time with wide strikes spreading crossed large commercialized centers and thoroughfare clashes intensifying, peculiarly successful occidental Iran.

Safavi described the standard of the demonstrations arsenic unprecedented.

"Millions of Iranians from northbound to southbound and eastbound to westbound person been retired successful the streets until nighttime," helium said. 

"Over the past 12 days, much young radical person laid down their lives to escaped Iran."

In a connection shared connected X, Reza Pahlavi wrote, "Millions of Iranians demanded their state tonight. In response, the authorities successful Iran has chopped each lines of communication. It has unopen down the Internet. It has chopped landlines. It whitethorn adjacent effort to jam outer signals."

IRAN CRACKDOWN RATTLES MIDDLE EAST AS ANALYSTS WEIGH US OPTIONS SHORT OF MILITARY INTERVENTION

Iranian protests intensify for the 12th time with cars turned upside down. (The National Council of Resistance of Iran)

In Lordegan, information forces had reportedly killed 8 protesters successful a azygous day, portion clashes besides near a authorities colonel and 2 Basij members dead.

Elsewhere, protesters torched authorities buildings successful cities, including Lumar successful Ilam province. Safavi said symbols of the authorities person been targeted nationwide.

"Statues person been destroyed and acceptable connected fire,"  Safavi said, noting that "the time before, buses were acceptable alight successful Mashhad and different torched."

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Footage circulating online and cited by Reuters showed protesters successful Mashhad ripping an Iranian emblem successful fractional amid chants against the leadership.

In Tehran, Safavi said demonstrators overturned a constabulary car successful Kaj Square, an affluent country adjacent the Alborz Mountains, arsenic crowds shouted, "Death to the oppressor!"