Politics Iran: Government downplays mass protests
The Iranian leadership has played down the nationwide mass protests. Calm prevailed in most of the country's cities, a spokesman said on state television, as reported in a video by the news agency of the Iranian state broadcasting network, Iribnews.
10.01.2026, 13:13
SDA
It was also reported that "armed terrorists" had again attempted to disrupt public security in various cities. However, thanks to the arrival of the security forces and the strong presence of the population, there were no armed attacks. In the city of Qazvin, people strongly condemned the actions of "armed terrorists".
Demonstrations in Tehran and Mashhad, among other places
For the second evening in a row, however, masses of people protested against the government in various major cities across the country. Demonstrations took place in the metropolises of Tehran and Mashhad, among others.
Videos widely shared on social media showed crowds gathering in central squares. The footage could not initially be independently verified.
The British BBC reported that the Farabi Hospital, Tehran's most important eye center, was in crisis mode, citing a doctor from Iran who had been in contact via the satellite internet Starlink on Friday evening. Emergency services are overloaded. Non-urgent admissions and operations have been suspended and staff have been called in to treat emergencies.
Only a few images are leaking out due to internet blocking
The exact extent of the demonstrations remains unclear. As the Iranian leadership has imposed a nationwide internet blackout, only a few recordings are leaking out. Security forces and selected pro-government media such as the state broadcaster, for example, are not affected by the blockade of internet access and continue to disseminate their reports, for example via the messaging service Telegram. People are reportedly bypassing the blackout via Starlink satellite internet - provided they were able to illegally import the necessary terminals.
