Iran protests and an internet blackout remained in focus on January 10–11 as reports from rights groups, the UN and news organizations described continuing demonstrations, widening communications restrictions, and sharply different death-toll estimates.
The UN-mandated Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said internet and mobile connectivity were shut down on the evening of January 8, and it urged authorities to restore access immediately and stop what it called a violent crackdown as demonstrations entered a third week.
Internet blackout cuts communications
The Associated Press reported that Iran disconnected internet and phone lines, describing the move as cutting off the country’s 85 million people from contact with the outside world and limiting the ability to share images and first-hand accounts from protests driven by economic strain.
The New York Times reported that information and footage arrived with delays as the government continued an internet blackout that began on Thursday and blocked international calls, while Iran’s Telecommunications Ministry said security officials chose to disable the internet because of a “developing situation in the country.”
Death toll figures vary
The UN fact-finding mission said that, as of January 7, more than 40 people — including at least five children — were reportedly killed in several provinces, and it also noted Iran’s parliament reported fatalities among members of the security forces.
In a separate UN update, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters the Secretary-General was “deeply saddened” by reported deaths and injuries, while rights groups cited in that briefing reported at least 20 killed, including three children, and said hundreds had been arrested, including minors.
The New York Times reported that Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch had not updated figures since Thursday, when both cited 28 deaths linked to the protests, while two other Iran-focused rights groups — HRANA and the Iran Human Rights Center — reported counts around 70, including minors and about 20 members of the security forces.
Deutsche Welle’s live coverage cited HRANA as reporting 62 deaths over 13 days — 48 protesters and 14 security personnel — and said HRANA reported about 2,300 arrests as authorities intensified a crackdown.
Streets, chants, and unrest reports
The New York Times described videos it said it verified showing large crowds in Tehran, and it also recounted a Tehran resident’s account of security forces opening fire on a father during a protest, as well as videos the paper reviewed showing what appeared to be bodies at a forensic clinic in Tehran’s Kahrizak district, though it said the cause of death in the footage was unclear.
ABC News reported that anti-government chants echoed through Tehran on Saturday night despite a lethal crackdown and an internet blackout, and it described verified footage showing fireworks, people banging pots, and slogans including “death to Khamenei,” while also reporting protests and large gatherings shown by Persian-language outlets outside Iran in several cities.
Reuters, in a report about the unrest, said Iran’s rulers face a legitimacy crisis as unrest spreads and described protesters gathering in Tehran amid burning vehicles.
Security warnings and army statements
The New York Times reported that Iran’s armed forces announced plans to patrol streets to protect “strategic infrastructure and public property,” citing damage and fires shown on state television, while also reporting Iranian state media claims of attacks on public buildings and casualties among security officials.
Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s military said it would defend “national interests,” strategic assets and public property, urged citizens to counter what it called “the enemy’s schemes,” and said the military accused Israel and “hostile terrorist organizations” of seeking to weaken public safety, while also reporting that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps called safeguarding national security and the achievements of the 1979 revolution a “red line.”
Both the Associated Press and ABC News reported that Iran’s attorney general warned that those taking part in protests could be treated as an “enemy of God,” a charge that carries the death penalty.
Starlink, jamming, and risks
The Associated Press reported that Starlink services were likely being obstructed and that possession or use of Starlink is illegal in Iran, while also citing an estimate that tens of thousands of receivers were in the country and describing reported drops in data packets linked to Starlink devices after the communications shutdown.
The Associated Press also reported that Iran had been interfering with GPS signals after a 12-day conflict with Israel in June and said Starlink receivers rely on GPS signals to orient themselves to connect to satellites, while warning that using the devices can carry serious risks for people inside Iran.
International reactions and UN warnings
Al Jazeera reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States “stands with the courageous people of Iran,” and it also reported that President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran’s leadership about protesters being shot and repeated threats of military action if peaceful demonstrators faced violence.
UN News reported that Trump said the United States would come to the “rescue” of protesters if Iranian authorities continued to authorize lethal force, and said Iran responded by writing to the UN Secretary-General and Security Council urging condemnation of what it called “unlawful threats” toward Tehran.
The UN fact-finding mission also warned that threats or acts of unilateral military intervention by third states are contrary to international law, while calling for the unconditional release of those it said were arbitrarily detained for exercising protected rights such as peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
