Iran-US tensions LIVE: 36,500 feared killed in crackdown on protests; Tehran issues warning

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of Iran’s president called on Saturday for internet connectivity to be restored, warning that a more than two-week blackout would exacerbate anti-government sentiment, AFP reported.

Yousef Pezeshkian, whose father Masoud was elected president in 2024, said “keeping the internet shut will create dissatisfaction and widen the gap between the people and the government”.

“This means those who were not and are not dissatisfied will be added to the list of the dissatisfied,” he wrote in a Telegram post.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: The head of Iran’s telecoms company said on Saturday that internet service would be restored “today or tomorrow”, AFP reported, citing Fars news agency.

It also reported that the Supreme National Security Council had on Friday night approved the reconnection of the internet and notified the communications ministry.

“God willing, this issue will be resolved today or tomorrow,” Behzad Akbari, chief executive of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Company, was quoted as saying.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: The US is reportedly planning to deport Iranians from the country despite Iran reeling with deadly protests, which killed thousands, AFP reported, citing an Iranian-American NGO called The National Iranian American Council (NIAC).

The NIAC reportedly said that it had learned that the Trump administration was planning to restart deportation flights to Iran, after prior removals in September and December.

The deportation flights would be the first to Iran since the beginning of the mass uprisings in the country. Meanwhile US has repeatedly threatened to launch strikes on the country.

Hassan Younesi, the son of former intelligence minister Ali Younesi, denounces the Iranian government’s theocracy over the massacre during the protests. “I despise the system and the guardianship that ordered this crime and massacre,” said Hassan Younesi.

He described the government and the reformist camp as complicit in the killing of people.

“I despise a government that became a partner in this crime; I despise a reformism that justified this massacre,” he wrote further.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Iran’s nationwide internet shutdown has continued for roughly 400 hours, leaving connectivity stuck at around 1 percent of normal levels, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.

NetBlocks’ data, cited by Iran International, shows access plunged around January 9 and has remained largely cut off since, pointing to a sustained and deliberate restriction on online communications amid the ongoing crackdown on protests.

An AFP report earlier in the day citing local reports has said that internet services would be restored “today or tomorrow.”

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has reportedly moved into a fortified underground shelter in Tehran amid fears of a potential US attack, sources told Iran International. The facility is said to include interconnected tunnels.

As tensions escalate, mourners were heard chanting “death to the dictator” during the funeral of Farzaneh Tavakkoli, a young woman killed during recent protests in Arak, central Iran, according to a video obtained by Iran International.

The news outlet’s sources also indicated that Masoud Khamenei, the Supreme Leader’s third son, has taken over day-to-day management of his father’s office and is serving as the main channel of communication with Iran’s executive branches while security concerns remain high.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Exiled Iranian Queen Farah Pahlavi issued a message mourning those killed during the recent unrest, calling for solidarity with the victims and their families.

In her statement, Pahlavi said the deaths had left “a profound wound on the soul of Iran” and stressed the need “to embrace solidarity and humanity” at a time of national grief.

She offered condolences to bereaved families and said she shared their sorrow.

“We shall continue to keep the memory of all the martyrs of freedom for Iran alive by upholding truth, justice and human dignity. Light will prevail over darkness,” she wrote on X.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: A retired Iranian army pilot was shot dead during protests in Tehran earlier this month, according to a report in Iran International.

Mohammad Khan-Mohammadi, a 67-year-old former pilot and a wounded veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, was hit by two bullets on January 9 at Kaj Square in the Saadat Abad neighbourhood in northwestern Tehran, added the report.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: As Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is reported to be staying in a fortified underground shelter in Tehran, Iran International’s sources say his third son, Masoud Khamenei, has taken over day-to-day management of the leader’s office.

Masoud Khamenei is reportedly acting as the main channel of communication between the Supreme Leader’s office and Iran’s executive branches, handling routine coordination while security concerns remain elevated amid tensions with the United States.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Iran’s ambassador to India has publicly appreciated New Delhi’s stand at the United Nations Human Rights Council after India voted against a move to increase scrutiny of the Islamic Republic’s human rights record.

Ambassador Mohammad Fathali said, “I extend my sincere gratitude to the Government of India for its principled and firm support of Islamic Republic of Iran at the UNHRC, including opposing an unjust and politically motivated resolution. This stance reflects India’s commitment to justice, multilateralism, and national sovereignty.”

The message followed the UNHRC’s 39th special session, convened to address what sponsors described as a deteriorating human rights situation in Iran amid massive protests. India voted against the resolution and aligned with a group of countries that opposed what they called a selective initiative, news agency ANI reported.

The resolution was ultimately adopted with 25 votes in favour, seven against and 14 abstentions, placing India among a minority of states that rejected the measure.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: US President Donald Trump has continued to issue sharp warnings to Tehran amid escalating tensions, saying Washington is positioning military assets closer to the region in case he decides to act.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said the United States was moving warships toward Iran “just in case” he wants to take action, reported AP.

“We have a massive fleet heading in that direction and maybe we won’t have to use it,” he added.

Trump had earlier warned that an “armada is heading” toward Iran, remarks that triggered a series of responses from Iranian military commanders and officials.

Emory University has reportedly dismissed Fatemeh Ardeshir Larijani, the daughter of a US-sanctioned Iranian security official, the university confirmed to Iran International on Saturday, following growing calls for her removal.

“A physician who is the daughter of a senior Iranian government official is no longer an employee of Emory,” the university’s Winship Cancer Institute, where Larijani worked, said in response to Iran International’s inquiry.

The move comes days after the US treasury sanctioned Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, for “coordinating” the Islamic Republic’s response to nationwide protests on behalf of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and for publicly calling on security forces to use force to repress peaceful demonstrators, the Iran International’s report added.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Under cover of the communications blackout, Iranian authorities launched a deadly crackdown on protesters, with rights groups documenting several thousand deaths.

The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights has said the final toll could exceed 25,000. Iranian authorities, however, have put the official death count at 3,117, including 2,427 people described as “martyrs”.

The government uses the term to distinguish members of the security forces and what it calls innocent bystanders from those it labels “rioters”, whom officials say were incited by the United States and Israel.

Mourners were heard chanting slogans against Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, saying “death to the dictator” during the funeral of a young woman killed in the recent protest crackdown in Arak, central Iran, according to a video obtained by Iran International.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has reportedly moved into a fortified underground shelter in Tehran amid fears of a potential US attack, according to sources cited by Iran International.

The facility is described as a secure site with interconnected tunnels.

Sources also indicated that Masoud Khamenei, the supreme leader’s third son, has taken over day-to-day management of his father’s office and is serving as the main channel of communication with Iran’s executive branches.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Iran’s authorities have signaled that the country’s more than two‑week internet blackout, imposed on January 8 during the nationwide protests, will soon be restored.

Officials told local media that full connectivity could be restored “today or tomorrow,” as technical teams work to reconnect services that were cut off amid the unrest, reported AFP.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has reportedly relocated to a fortified underground shelter in Tehran amid fears of a potential US attack, sources told Iran International. The facility is said to include interconnected tunnels.

Sources indicate that Masoud Khamenei, the supreme leader’s third son, has taken over day-to-day management of his father’s office and serves as the main channel of communication with Iran’s executive branches.

When asked about Washington’s renewed threats, the Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, Brigadier General Majid Mousavi, said Trump “talks a lot” but will receive his answers “on the ground,” according to Tehran Times.

Iran’s population of over 90 million has been largely cut off from the internet since January 8. The blackout briefly lifted for about 30 minutes on Saturday but was cut off again, with communications officials citing ongoing “technical complexities.”

During the funeral of Farzaneh Tavakkoli, a young woman killed in the protest crackdown in Arak, mourners were heard chanting “death to the dictator,” according to a video obtained by Iran International.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Mourners were heard chanting “death to the dictator” during the funeral of Farzaneh Tavakkoli, a young woman killed in the recent protest crackdown in Arak, central Iran, according to a video obtained by Iran International.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: IRGC Navy Commander General Alireza Tangsiri said that US President Donald Trump must “take a look at history” before making a move, according to the Tehran Times.

When the news outlet asked about Washington’s renewed threats, the Commander of Iran’s IRGC Aerospace Force, Brigadier General Majid Mousavi, said Trump “talks a lot” but will receive his answers “on the ground.”

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Masoud Khamenei, the Supreme Leader’s third son, has taken over day-to-day management of his father’s office while he is in an underground bunker, sources closed to the Iranian government told Iran International.

He is reportedly serving as the main channel of communication with Iran’s executive branches while Ali Khamenei remains in a fortified underground shelter amid rising tensions with the US.

ran-US tensions LIVE: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has reportedly relocated to a fortified underground shelter in Tehran after senior military and security officials assessed an increased risk of a potential US attack, two sources close to the government told Iran International.

The facility is said to include interconnected tunnels and enhanced security features.

The development comes as Trump has issued fresh warnings against Iran, saying he is sending US warships close to the Iranian territory, “in case” he wants to take action.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: International internet access in Iran was briefly restored on Saturday but was cut off again after about 30 minutes, Fars news agency reported.

Internet monitor NetBlocks also registered the short-lived restoration of connectivity, according to AFP.

Officials from the communications ministry told Fars that full restoration would take time “due to technical complexities.”

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Iran’s top telecoms official said on Saturday that internet services could be restored “today or tomorrow,” according to the Fars news agency cited by AFP.

Fars reported that the Supreme National Security Council approved the reconnection late Friday night and informed the communications ministry.

“God willing, this issue will be resolved today or tomorrow,” Behzad Akbari, chief executive of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Company, was quoted as saying.

The Telecommunications Infrastructure Company oversees telecom services across Iran.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Yousef Pezeshkian, a government adviser and son of President Masoud Pezeshkian, said “keeping the internet shut will create dissatisfaction and widen the gap between the people and the government,” reported AFP.

“This means those who were not and are not dissatisfied will be added to the list of the dissatisfied,” he wrote in a Telegram post later carried by the state-run IRNA news agency. He added that the risk of prolonged public anger was greater than the risk of protests resuming if connectivity were restored.

Iran’s population of more than 90 million has been largely cut off from the internet since authorities imposed the blackout on January 8 amid nationwide protests.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights, cited by AFP, has said the final toll could exceed 25,000. Iranian authorities, however, have put the official death count at 3,117, including 2,427 people described as “martyrs”.

The government uses the term to distinguish members of the security forces and what it calls innocent bystanders from those it labels “rioters”, whom officials say were incited by the United States and Israel.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: President Donald Trump had threatened to impose secondary tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Iran earlier this month, escalating economic pressure alongside military warnings of attacking Iran.

Trump, however, did not elaborate on how such tariffs would be applied and has not enacted any so far. China and India are among Iran’s major trading partners.