Iran rocked with internet shutdown as protests persist
By Al Jazeera, January 4, 2026Iranians are once again experiencing internet disruptions amid widening protests across the country, as authorities warn of foreign sabotage and move to organise counter-demonstrations.
Internet users have reported intermittent disruptions to both home and mobile connections since Thursday. Data from a US-based internet infrastructure and cybersecurity firm, Cloudflare, showed on Saturday that internet traffic in Iran was about 35 per cent lower than average compared with previous days.
Iranian authorities have repeatedly restricted or shut down internet access during past waves of unrest, at times limiting connectivity to a domestic intranet. Internet access was almost entirely cut off for several days in mid-June during the height of the conflict involving Israel and the United States.
The government has not directly linked the latest slowdown to the ongoing protests. However, Minister of Information and Communications Technology Sattar Hashemi said on Sunday that Iran had repelled one of the largest cyberattacks in recent memory, which he suggested may have affected bandwidth and connectivity.
The protests began last Sunday among traders and salesmen in downtown Tehran and have since spread to multiple cities across the country. At least 10 people have been killed during the demonstrations, according to local reports.
Among the dead was a young business owner in the western city of Hamedan, where protests have continued for several days alongside a heavy security presence. Hamzeh Amraei, the regional governor’s political and security deputy, described the death as “suspicious” and claimed it was carried out by “enemies” seeking to portray Iranian authorities negatively.
In the city of Qom, south of Tehran, top security official Morteza Heydari confirmed that a 17-year-old boy had been shot dead. He alleged that “hostile elements” were responsible, without providing further details. He also said another individual, described as being linked to “terrorist movements, died after a grenade exploded in his possession.
State media also reported that a veteran member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed by armed and masked men in Malekshahi, in Ilam province. The semi-official Fars news agency said at least three people were killed in the area.
Protests have also been reported in Lorestan province in western Iran. The provincial IRGC said three “main leaders of the recent riots” in the city of Khorramabad had been arrested, though no names were released.
State television has aired alleged confessions by detained individuals, some shown blindfolded or with blurred faces, claiming links to foreign agents or possession of weapons.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaking on Saturday, blamed foreign influence for the unrest and said “rioters must be put in their place”.
The remarks followed sharp exchanges between Iranian and US officials after US President Donald Trump said he would “come to the rescue” of Iranian protesters if they were harmed.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised Washington in a speech on Saturday, accusing the US of hypocrisy for condemning Iran while backing Israel’s war on Gaza, which he described as genocidal.
Later on Saturday, Iranian authorities organised a large gathering in downtown Tehran, with state media reporting that thousands attended. Participants displayed religious imagery to mark a national holiday commemorating Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shia imam.
Banners and posters of Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s former top general, killed in a US air strike in Iraq in January 2020, were displayed in cities nationwide as authorities prepared demonstrations marking the anniversary of his assassination.
Many businesses, schools, universities and government offices have remained closed since Wednesday, when authorities announced a public holiday citing cold weather and electricity management. With Thursday and Friday falling on Iran’s weekend and Saturday marking a religious holiday, it remained unclear whether businesses would reopen on Sunday.
Several online businesses and social media figures have announced temporary closures in solidarity with protesters, while demonstrations have also continued on university campuses, particularly in Tehran, with reports of student detentions.
Iran’s economic situation has worsened over years of sanctions reimposed by the US in 2018. Inflation currently stands at around 50 per cent, among the highest globally.
In response to mounting economic pressure, the government last week dismissed central bank chief Mohammad Reza Farzin. His successor, Abdolnaser Hemmati, was previously impeached as economy minister and oversaw a sharp depreciation of the national currency during his earlier tenure as central bank chief. Farzin has since been appointed as a special economic adviser to the president.