Iran protests grow deadlier as regime internet blackout fails to stop uprising

Iran protests grow deadlier as regime internet blackout fails to stop uprising

Efrat Lachter

Iran’s nationwide unrest entered its thirteenth day Friday, as authorities imposed a sweeping internet blackout that largely cut the country off from the outside world and escalated threats of harsh punishment while anti-regime protests spread. Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) reported that at least 51 protesters, including nine children, have been killed, with hundreds more injured. 

At a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday, President Donald Trump said Iran was facing mounting pressure as unrest spreads across the country. "Iran’s in big trouble," Trump said. "It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago. We’re watching the situation very carefully."

Trump warned that the United States would respond forcefully if the regime resorts to mass violence. "We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts."

Trump said the administration hopes such action will not be necessary. "We don’t want that to happen," he said. "There have been cases like this where President Obama totally backed down, but this is something pretty incredible that’s happening in Iran. It’s an amazing thing to watch."

Trump blamed Iran’s leadership for the unrest, saying the regime had mistreated its people.

"They’ve done a bad job. They’ve treated the people very badly, and now they’re being paid back," he said. "So let’s see what happens. We’ll watch it. We’re watching it very closely."

Banafsheh Zand, an Iranian-American journalist and editor of the Iran So Far Away Substack, said demonstrations were expected to intensify later Friday despite the communications blackout.

"People are going to be pouring out into the streets," Zand told Fox News Digital. She described the unrest as unprecedented in the Islamic Republic’s history.

"Absolutely, this is the first time in 47 years. February 12 will mark 47 years that we have this opportunity," she said. A senior U.S. official told Fox News there had been no change to the U.S. military posture in the Middle East in response to the unrest, adding that U.S. Central Command was closely monitoring developments, particularly around Friday prayers and the regime’s response.

Thirteen days into the protests, the leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Germany issued their first joint declaration on the situation in Iran.

"We are deeply concerned about reports of violence by Iranian security forces and strongly condemn the killing of protesters," the statement said. "The Iranian authorities have the responsibility to protect their own population and must allow for freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisal. We urge the Iranian authorities to exercise restraint, refrain from violence, and uphold the fundamental rights of Iran’s citizens."

The opposition-linked National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said Friday that security forces killed a significant number of protesters overnight in several cities, particularly Tehran and Karaj. The group said repression forces opened fire on civilians in the Fardis area of Karaj, leaving at least 10 young people killed or wounded in one incident—claims that could not be independently verified.

According to Reuters, Iran was effectively isolated after authorities shut down internet access in an effort to curb the demonstrations, sharply limiting the flow of information out of the country. Phone calls into Iran were failing, and at least 17 flights between Dubai and Iran were canceled, according to Dubai Airport’s website. Videos verified by Reuters showed buildings and vehicles ablaze in several cities as unrest intensified.

Footage verified by Reuters from Tehran showed hundreds of demonstrators marching, with at least one woman heard shouting, "Death to Khamenei!" Other chants included slogans supporting the monarchy.

In Zahedan, where Iran’s Baluch minority predominates, rights group Hengaw reported that a protest march following Friday prayers had been met with gunfire, wounding several people, according to Reuters.

Iranian state television aired 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 confrontations.

In a televised address Friday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to back down. Reuters reported that while the unrest has not yet drawn as broad a cross-section of society as some previous protest waves, Iranian authorities appear more vulnerable due to a dire economic situation and the aftermath of last year’s war with Israel and the United States.

Kiev Mayor, Former Boxer Klitschko Urges Residents of Ukraine’s Capital To Leave the City as Half the Buildings Have No Power or Heating

Kiev Mayor, Former Boxer Klitschko Urges Residents of Ukraine’s Capital To Leave the City as Half the Buildings Have No Power or Heating

Paul Serran

While the eyes of the world were focused on the Oreshnik hypersonic missile attack in Lvov, a massive missile and drone air raid also took place, part of a trend that’s targeting power supply in Ukraine, and leaving cities in the cold and dark.

In the case of the Ukrainian capital Kiev, the high-profile former boxer mayor advised residents to ‘temporarily leave the city’, as half of the apartment buildings cannot be heated after last night’s heavy Russian air attack.

Kyiv Independent reported:

“Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko called on residents of the capital, if possible, to leave the city after a Russian attack on Jan. 9 left half of the city’s apartment buildings without heating.

As temperatures dropped below 14°F, Russia launched a mass attack on Ukraine overnight with 242 drones and 36 missiles, with Kiev and its surrounding areas being the primary targets, the Air Force reported. The attack hit energy infrastructure facilities and multiple residential buildings in the capital, killing at least four people and injuring 19 others.”

“’We are doing everything we can to resolve this as quickly as possible. However, the combined attack on Kiev last night was the most devastating for the capital’s critical infrastructure’, Klitschko said. ‘I appeal to the residents of the capital, who have the opportunity to temporarily leave the city for places where there are alternative sources of power and heat, to do so’, Klitschko said.”

The city is facing water supply interruptions, with power outages being introduced.

DPA International reported:

“’The city services are operating in emergency mode’, Klitschko posted on Telegram. Around half the city’s apartment blocks are affected following a severe Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital.

The overnight attack on Kiev had been the most serious of the war for the city’s infrastructure, with the situation exacerbated by cold winter weather, Klitschko said. Those able to find suitable accommodation elsewhere should leave the city temporarily, he posted.

The recommendation was not an official call to evacuate, but advice to the effect that residents should travel to their dachas equipped with heating stoves or seek accommodation with friends and relatives in less affected areas.”

More....

Security forces said to open fire on demonstrators in southeast Iran on 13th day of protests

Security forces said to open fire on demonstrators in southeast Iran on 13th day of protests

The Times of Israel is liveblogging Friday

Hundreds of people have taken to the streets in the Sunni-majority city of Zahedan in southeastern Iran, as anti-regime protests extended into their 13th day.

The protests are largely attended by members of the Baluch ethnic group and included a women’s rally where participants are heard chanting “From Zahedan to Iran, my life for Iran” and “This is the final battle, Pahlavi will return,” a reference to the son of the former Iranian shah who is backing the protests from exile in the US.

The Haalvsh Baluch rights site says Iranian security forces opened fire on some of the protesters, wounding several of them.

The shooting reportedly took place near the city’s Makki Mosque, where demonstrators prayed before taking to the streets.

The regime has instituted an internet blackout over much of the country and much of the footage of today’s protests is blurred to protect the identities of the demonstrators.

UN rights chief calls for Iran protest deaths to be ‘transparently’ investigated

The UN’s human rights chief calls for all protest deaths in Iran to be “independently and transparently” probed, while also expressing concern at the internet being cut in the country.

Volker Turk, in a statement, says he is “deeply disturbed by reports of violence” in the nationwide protests, saying: “Those responsible for any violations must be held to account in line with international norms and standards.”

Iran FM says US, Israel ‘directly intervening’ in protests

Iran’s foreign minister accuses the United States and Israel on Friday of fueling a growing protest movement in the country, while dismissing the possibility of direct foreign military intervention after US warnings over crackdowns on demonstrators.

“This is what the Americans and Israelis have stated, that they are directly intervening in the protests in Iran,” says Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a visit to Lebanon.

“They are trying to transform the peaceful protests into divisive and violent ones,” he says, adding that “regarding the possibility of seeing military intervention against Iran, we believe there is a low possibility of this because their previous attempts were total failures.”

Turkey welcomes Syrian offensive in Aleppo against Kurdish fighters

Security forces said to open fire at demonstrators in southeast Iran, as anti-regime protests enter 13th day

Hundreds of people have taken to the streets in the Sunni-majority city of Zahedan in southeastern Iran, as anti-regime protests extended into their 13th day.

The protests are largely attended by members of the Baluch ethnic group and included a women’s rally where participants are heard chanting “From Zahedan to Iran, my life for Iran” and “This is the final battle, Pahlavi will return,” a reference to the son of the former Iranian shah who is backing the protests from exile in the US.

The Haalvsh Baluch rights site says Iranian security forces opened fire on some of the protesters, wounding several of them.

The shooting reportedly took place near the city’s Makki Mosque, where demonstrators prayed before taking to the streets.

The regime has instituted an internet blackout over much of the country and much of the footage of today’s protests is blurred to protect the identities of the demonstrators.

UN rights chief calls for Iran protest deaths to be ‘transparently’ investigated

More....

Russian strikes cut heat to Kyiv, mayor calls for temporary evacuation

Russian strikes cut heat to Kyiv, mayor calls for temporary evacuation

Russian strikes cut heating to half of the Ukrainian capital on Friday (Jan 9), triggering the mayor to issue an exceptional call for residents to temporarily leave the city with temperatures at -8°C and set to drop further.

Four people were killed in the capital in a massive missile and drone attack that ripped open apartment blocks and also saw Moscow fire its feared Oreshnik ballistic missile at a gas facility in western Ukraine.

The barrage came hours after Moscow rejected a plan by Kyiv and its Western allies to deploy peacekeeping forces to Ukraine in the event of any ceasefire in the war nearing its four-year mark.

AFP journalists in Kyiv saw residents running for shelter as the air raid siren echoed and heard Russian drones exploding into residential buildings and missiles whistling over the capital.

"A clear reaction from the world is needed. Above all from the United States, whose signals Russia truly pays attention to," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media as rescuers sifted through the rubble of widespread damage in the capital.

"Russia must receive signals that it is its obligation to focus on diplomacy, and must feel consequences every time it again focuses on killings and the destruction of infrastructure," he added.

Zelenskyy said 20 residential buildings in Kyiv had been damaged, adding that a Russian drone had damaged the Qatari embassy building.

Around half of all apartment blocks in the capital were left without heat due to "due to damage to the capital's critical infrastructure caused by a massive enemy attack," Klitschko said.

He called on "residents of the capital who have the opportunity to temporarily leave the city for places with alternative sources of power and heat to do so."

Russia's Hypersonic Warning Shot: Why The Oreshnik Strike Changes Everything

Russia's Hypersonic Warning Shot: Why The Oreshnik Strike Changes Everything

PNW STAFF

The war in Ukraine crossed a dangerous new threshold this week -- not because of territory gained or lost, but because of what Russia chose to fire.

Reports indicate that Moscow launched its Oreshnik hypersonic missile in a strike on Lviv, a city just 40 miles from NATO and the European Union. That geographic detail matters. This was not a random battlefield decision. It was a message -- aimed not just at Kyiv, but at Washington, Brussels, and every Western capital watching the conflict inch closer to a wider confrontation.

Hypersonic weapons are not just faster missiles. They are strategic disruptors. And Russia just demonstrated it is willing to use one in active combat.

What Makes the Oreshnik So Dangerous

The Oreshnik is believed to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile equipped with hypersonic reentry vehicles. Once launched, it accelerates to Mach 10 or higher, separating into multiple warheads that descend toward their targets at blistering speed.

At that velocity, reaction time collapses. Radar detection windows shrink. Interceptors struggle to calculate trajectories that change mid-flight. Traditional missile defense systems -- built for slower, predictable ballistic arcs -- suddenly look outdated.

Russia claims that no existing missile defense system can stop Oreshnik. That statement is almost certainly exaggerated. No weapon is truly invincible. But the more uncomfortable truth is this: there is currently no reliable, proven defense against a full hypersonic strike of this kind, especially when multiple warheads are involved.

Even NATO's most advanced systems were not designed for this scenario at scale. And Ukraine, already stretched thin, has virtually no way to counter it.

That reality is what makes this moment so unsettling.

Why Strike Lviv -- and Why Now?

Lviv is not just another Ukrainian city. It is a logistical hub, a symbol of Western support, and a gateway between Ukraine and Europe. 

By striking so close to NATO territory, Russia was drawing a line -- deliberately and visibly.

This strike came amid rising tensions far beyond Ukraine's borders. The United States and Russia are increasingly at odds over oil shipments, sanctions enforcement, tanker seizures, and geopolitical maneuvering in places like Venezuela. At the same time, Western leaders have doubled down on long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, signaling that Kyiv will not be abandoned.

Moscow sees these moves as encirclement.

And it has responded accordingly.

Russian officials have now openly declared that any foreign troops or military units operating in Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets. That is not idle rhetoric. It is escalation language -- the kind that precedes decisions rather than follows them.

The Oreshnik strike fits perfectly into that posture.

The Bigger Picture: Escalation by Design

This war is no longer confined to tanks, trenches, and drones. It has become a contest of thresholds -- how far each side can go without triggering direct confrontation, and how much pressure can be applied before something breaks.

Russia is signaling that it is willing to:

Introduce strategic-level weapons into a regional war

Undermine confidence in Western defensive guarantees

Force NATO planners to confront uncomfortable new realities

The message is not subtle: your defenses may not be enough, and your proximity will not protect you.

For NATO, this presents a serious dilemma. Deterrence relies not just on military capability, but on credibility. If populations believe that advanced weapons cannot be stopped, public pressure to avoid escalation grows -- and that pressure can shape political decisions.

That is exactly the space Russia is trying to exploit.

A Feedback Loop with No Easy Exit

Every escalation creates momentum. Hypersonic weapons invite counter-development. Counter-development invites preemptive deployment. And preemptive deployment raises the risk of catastrophic miscalculation.

This is how arms races accelerate -- not in decades, but in months.

What makes this moment especially dangerous is how multiple global flashpoints are beginning to overlap. 

Ukraine, energy markets, sanctions, shipping lanes, and political instability in oil-producing nations are no longer separate issues. They are threads in the same strategic web.

Pull one too hard, and the entire structure shifts.

The Sobering Reality

The Oreshnik strike is not just about Ukraine. It is about the future of warfare -- and the fragile assumptions that have kept major powers from direct conflict for generations.

Speed changes everything. When weapons travel faster than diplomacy can respond, the margin for restraint narrows. When leaders openly label foreign forces as legitimate targets, ambiguity disappears. And when advanced systems are tested in live combat, what was once theoretical becomes precedent.

The world should take this moment seriously.

Not because war is inevitable -- but because the rules that once slowed escalation are eroding, one missile launch at a time.

The strike on Lviv was not just an attack.

It was a warning shot.

And history suggests that warning shots are rarely the last.