Iran rocked by protests, nationwide internet blackout

Iran experienced a nationwide internet outage on Thursday, according to monitoring group NetBlocks, as protests continued across the country. Demonstrators reportedly chanted slogans against the Islamic Republic's clerical rulers.

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the deposed Iranian shah who was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution in 1979, called for further protests in a video message on the X network on Wednesday.

However, Iranian state media claim that cities across the country are calm.

The current protests began in December at Tehran's Grand Bazaar, where merchants condemned the sharp fall in the value of the rial.

The unrest has since spread across the country amid a deepening economic crisis caused by rampant inflation triggered by poor governance, Western sanctions, and restrictions on political and civil liberties.

According to state media, President Masoud Pezeshkan warned domestic suppliers on Thursday against hoarding goods and excessive price increases.

(reuters, est)