Iran’s streets remain ablaze with fury as anti-regime demonstrations mark two weeks of relentless defiance. A suffocating internet blackout, lasting over 60 hours, amplifies the chaos by severing communication lines across the country. Tensions skyrocketed after U.S. President Donald Trump’s admonitions drew a fiery rebuttal from Tehran, placing Israel on heightened alert.
Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf, a staunch conservative with presidential ambitions, unleashed a barrage of warnings during a raucous session. As deputies surged forward shouting anti-U.S. chants—aired live on national TV—he cautioned that any American strike would invite retaliation against U.S. troops and the Jewish state. His praise for police and Revolutionary Guards highlighted a zero-tolerance stance on the protests.
‘We will confront them with utmost severity and ensure justice for the detained,’ Ghalibaf proclaimed. Directly targeting Israel as ‘occupied lands,’ he outlined clear targets: every U.S. military installation, outpost, and vessel in the area.
The Times of Israel reports Israel bracing for contingencies amid fears of U.S. escalation in Iran’s turmoil. NetBlocks data reveals the internet clampdown, initiated during the uprising, shows no end in sight after 60-plus hours.
Clashes turned deadly violent in Mamasani County, Fars province, where Tasnim News detailed protesters breaching a courthouse, igniting blazes in guard rooms. Prosecutor Hassan Elahi described how flames rapidly engulfed interiors from basement to upper floors until forces intervened.
This standoff pits a defiant populace against an unyielding regime, with global implications looming large. As blackouts and threats persist, the specter of wider regional instability grows ever more real.
