Security forces are seen during a pro-government rally on January 12, 2026, in Tehran, Iran. | Stringer/Getty Images

It’s difficult to know exactly what is happening in Iran since the government shut down the internet on January 8, plunging a nation of more than 90 million people into digital darkness.

Crackdowns against anti-government protesters have led to at least 2,600 deaths, although some estimates put the death toll at upward of 20,000. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, more than 18,000 protesters have been arrested.

The protests began in late December in response to dire economic conditions and took on a broader anti-government character as people demanded the end of Ali Khamenei’s rule. The Iranian rial is now the least valuable currency in the world. The country has an inflation rate of about 40 percent, making necessities unaffordable for most people. Iran is struggling through a long-lasting economic crisis, driven by sanctions, government austerity measures, and last year’s war with Israel. Many parts of the country, including the capital of Tehran, face severe and unrelenting drought, as I reported in November.

The government also cut phone lines on January 8. While the government eased some of these restrictions on Tuesday, allowing some Iranians to make international calls out of the country this week, many reasonably fear government surveillance. People outside the country remain unable to call........

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