Iran’s nationwide unrest entered its 13th day on Friday, as authorities imposed a sweeping internet blackout that largely cut off the country from the outside world and escalated threats of harsh punishment as anti-regime protests spread. Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) reported this that at least 51 protesters, including nine children, have been killed and hundreds more injured.
Banafsheh Zand, an Iranian-American journalist and editor of the Iran So Far Away Substack, said the demonstrations were expected to intensify later Friday despite the communications blackout.
“Absolutely, this is the first time in 47 years. February 12th will be 47 years since we have had this opportunity,” she said.
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A protester is confronted by Iranian security forces during clashes amid nationwide unrest, according to images released by Iranian opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) (NCRI)
Thirteen days after the protests, the leaders of France, Britain and Germany issued their first joint statement on the situation in Iran.
“We are deeply concerned by reports of violence by Iranian security forces and strongly condemn the killing of protesters,” the statement said. “The Iranian authorities have a responsibility to protect their own people and must allow freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisals. We urge the Iranian authorities to exercise restraint, refrain from violence and uphold the fundamental rights of Iranian citizens.”
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Protesters gather as vehicles burn, amid developing anti-government unrest, in Tehran, Iran, in this screenshot obtained from a social media video released on January 9, 2026. (Social media/via Reuters)
Iran’s opposition-aligned National Council of Resistance (NCRI) said on Friday that security forces in several cities, especially Tehran and Karaj, killed a significant number of protesters overnight. The group said repression forces opened fire on civilians in the Fardis area of Karaj, killing or wounding at least 10 young people in one incident – claims that could not be independently verified.
According to Reuters, Iran became effectively isolated after authorities cut off internet access in an attempt to curb the demonstrations, severely restricting the flow of information out of the country. Phone calls to Iran failed and at least seventeen flights between Dubai and Iran were canceled, according to Dubai Airport’s website. Videos verified by Reuters showed buildings and vehicles on fire in several cities as unrest increased.
Footage verified by Reuters from Tehran showed hundreds of protesters marching, with at least one woman heard shouting: “Death to Khamenei!” Other chants included slogans supporting the monarchy.
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In Zahedan, where Iran’s Baluch minority dominates, rights group Hengaw reported that a protest march after Friday prayers was met with gunfire, wounding several people, according to Reuters.
Iranian state television broadcast images of clashes and fires, while the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that several police officers were killed overnight, underscoring the increasingly violent nature of the clashes.
In a televised speech on Friday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to back down. Reuters reported that while the unrest has not yet attracted as broad a cross-section of society as some previous waves of protests, Iranian authorities appear more vulnerable due to the poor economic situation and the aftermath of last year’s war with Israel and the United States.
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Iranian demonstrations intensify for 13th day. (The National Council of Resistance of Iran)
The protests began late last month when shopkeepers and bazaar traders demonstrated against rising inflation and the collapse of the rial, which lost about half its value against the dollar last year. Inflation reached the 40% mark in December. The unrest soon spread to universities and provincial towns, where young men clashed with security forces.
State television broadcast images at night of burning buses, cars and motorcycles, as well as fires in subway stations and banks. In the Caspian Sea port city of Rasht, a state television journalist standing among the flames said: “This looks like a war zone – all the shops have been destroyed.”
Reuters noted that Iran’s opposition abroad remains fragmented, with contentious levels of support in the country for figures such as Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s late Shah. Pahlavi urged Iranians to take to the streets in a social media post, while President Donald Trump said Thursday he would not meet with Pahlavi and was “not sure if it would be appropriate” to support him, he stated in an interview with Hugh Hewitt.
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Burning debris lies next to an overturned waste container in the middle of a street during unrest amid demonstrations in Hamedan, Iran, on January 1, 2026. The demonstrations broke out after shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar closed their businesses to protest the sharp fall of Iran’s currency and deteriorating economic conditions. Clashes were reported in several provinces and Iranian media and rights groups said several people were killed in the violence. This marked the largest protests to ever hit the Islamic Republic. three years. (Mobina/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite the unrest, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the chances of a foreign military intervention were “very low.” According to Reuters, Oman’s foreign minister was expected to visit Tehran on Saturday.
The Islamic Republic has endured repeated waves of nationwide unrest in recent decades, including major protests in 1999, 2009, 2019 and 2022. Analysts say the coming days will test whether the current uprising can maintain momentum under intensified repression — or suffer a similar fate.
Reuters contributed to this article.
