Internet and phones cut in Iran as protesters heed exiled prince s call for mass demonstration

Iran's government disconnected the country from the internet and international phone calls on Thursday night. This action came as many people took to the streets and shouted from their windows in response to a call for a mass protest by the exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. This event marked a significant moment to see if the Iranian people would respond to the prince, whose father fled Iran shortly before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The protests included calls in support of the former ruler, which in the past could have led to severe consequences but now reflect the anger over Iran’s struggling economy. Protests have been occurring in cities and rural areas throughout Iran, continuing on Thursday. Many markets and bazaars closed to show support for the protesters. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency based in the U.S., at least 42 people have died due to violence related to the protests, and more than 2,270 have been arrested. The protests put more pressure on Iran's civilian government and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Internet firm CloudFlare and the advocacy group NetBlocks reported the outage, linking it to government actions. Calls to landlines and mobile phones from Dubai to Iran could not go through. Such internet cuts have often led to serious crackdowns by the government in the past. The protests themselves are mostly leaderless, and it is still uncertain how Pahlavi's call for action will influence them in the future. Nate Swanson from the Washington-based Atlantic Council, who studies Iran, mentioned that the absence of a strong alternative has weakened past protests. He noted that many Iranian activists could become respected leaders if given the chance, similar to labor leader Lech Wałęsa in Poland after the Cold War. However, the Iranian security forces have arrested, persecuted, and exiled many potential leaders. Pahlavi had proposed demonstrations at 8 p.m. local time (1630 GMT) on Thursday and Friday. As the time approached, neighborhoods in Tehran filled with shouts and chants, according to witnesses. Protesters yelled phrases like “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to the Islamic Republic!” Some expressed support for the shah, chanting: “This is the last battle! Pahlavi will return!” Many people were seen on the streets just before all communication to Iran was cut off. Pahlavi stated, “Iranians demanded their freedom tonight. In response, the regime in Iran has cut all lines of communication. It has shut down the Internet. It has cut landlines. It may even attempt to jam satellite signals.”