Iranian state television channels were hacked and a message from former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was broadcast.

 

Images of the protests were also shown. The Shah's son reiterated his call for the population to continue the demonstrations against the regime and urged the military to side with the people.

On Saturday, marches were held in Paris, London, Madrid, and Lisbon, among other cities, against the Islamic Republic, which continues its repression of the protests. In response, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the protesters "criminals" and stated: "The Iranian nation will not allow national and international criminals to be behind these disturbances."

From the United States, President Donald Trump called for a change in "leadership" in Iran and described Khamenei as "a sick man who is killing his people." In an interview with Politico, he accused the regime leader of "the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence on a scale never before seen."

“Governing is about respect, not fear and death… It’s time to seek new leadership,” he added, urging the Supreme Leader to stop repressing the population and to govern the country properly.

The human rights organization HRANA, based in the United States, reported that more than 3,308 people have been killed by regime forces, with another 4,382 deaths still pending confirmation. Among the victims are 22 minors under the age of 18, according to the organization. However, an Iranian official told Reuters that more than 5,000 of the dead have already been identified.

Telecommunications operator director fired for refusing to block internet access

The CEO of Irancell, Iran’s second-largest mobile phone operator, was dismissed for refusing to comply with the government order to block internet access, the Fars news agency reported on Sunday.

On January 8, Iran suspended all communications without warning amid growing calls for anti-government protests linked to the economic crisis. Since then, internet access has been virtually impossible, although restrictions on some foreign websites, such as Google, began to be partially lifted this Sunday.

Fars reported: “Alireza Rafiei was removed from his position as CEO of the company after approximately one year in the role.” The agency added that Irancell “disobeyed orders from decision-making institutions by implementing the announced policies on restricting internet access in crisis situations.”

Iranian authorities announced plans to restore internet access gradually. On Sunday morning in Tehran, AFP journalists managed to connect to the internet, although most internet service providers remained blocked.

According to state television, access to Google was restored this Sunday “through all mobile lines and internet providers.” Founded in 2005, Irancell claims to have seventy million subscribers.

Several Iranian state television channels broadcasting via the Badr satellite were hacked on Sunday, airing images of the protests along with calls from exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi for people to join the demonstrations and for the military to side with the protesters.

The Iranian state broadcaster uses the Badr satellite to transmit several of its provincial television channels nationwide.

A group of people unfurled a huge banner on Miami Beach addressed to Donald Trump, reading “It’s time to liberate Iran.”

The banner was accompanied by the Iranian flag, as well as those of the United States and Israel.

An attack against the Supreme Leader would be a declaration of war.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Sunday that any attack against the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would be considered a declaration of war.

“An attack against the great leader of our country amounts to total war against the Iranian nation,” Pezeshkian stated in a message on the X network, in what appears to be a response to US President Donald Trump, who declared that the time has come to find a new leader for Iran.

Two former members of Iran’s national junior taekwondo team were killed during protests in Iran, according to several prominent taekwondo figures cited by Iran International.

Amirhossein (Shayan) Shekari and Amir-Mohammad Karami, former members of Iran’s national junior team in 2022, were killed by the Islamic Republic’s security forces, according to three Iranian taekwondo champions who posted on Instagram.

Iran Considers Gradually Restoring Internet Access

Iranian regime authorities are considering gradually restoring internet access after an unprecedented ten-day communications blackout, a measure intended to mask the brutal repression that left thousands dead.

The Tasnim news agency reported Saturday night that “the relevant authorities announced that internet access will also be restored gradually,” though it offered no further details.

According to an “informed” source quoted by Tasnim, local messaging apps “will soon be active” on the national intranet. AFP was able to access the internet from its Tehran office Sunday morning, although most providers and mobile service remain suspended.

Outgoing international calls have been enabled since Tuesday, and text messages resumed Saturday morning. For several days, both text messages and international calls—and even, at times, local calls—were blocked.

During this period, Iran has relied on its national intranet, which has enabled the operation of local media sites, ride-hailing apps, delivery services, and banking platforms.

An Iranian official reported that authorities have verified at least 5,000 deaths during the protests in Iran, including approximately 500 members of the security forces. The source, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue, explained to Reuters that the most intense clashes and the highest number of casualties were concentrated in the Kurdish areas of the northwest of the country, where separatists are present and violent episodes have been recurrent during other periods of unrest.

“The final death toll is not expected to rise significantly,” the official noted.

Iranian authorities typically blame external actors for the unrest.

The US-based human rights group HRANA reported on Saturday that the death toll had reached 3,308, with another 4,382 cases under review. Furthermore, the organization confirmed more than 24,000 arrests.

Is a second US-Israeli assault on Iran imminent?

Even if the regime survives, it has entered its terminal phase, which could last months or years, but it has nothing left to offer but martyrdom.

El fiscal de Teherán, Ali Salehi, se refirió este domingo a las declaraciones del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, sobre una presunta suspensión de 800 ejecuciones de manifestantes en Irán tras sus advertencias desde el país norteamericano.