Iranian leaders have apparently shut down internet and phone networks in Tehran as protests erupt in the capital. Cloudflare, an internet firm, and the advocacy group NetBlocks said sweeping

Iran facing "nationwide internet blackout," monitoring group says, amid hope that 12 days of deadly protests may swell into a tipping point against a repressive regime.

As chants for freedom echoed across neighborhoods, Iran's government under President Masoud Pezeshkian responded by pulling the digital plug. Internet and international calls were blocked, a familiar tactic that often signals an imminent and forceful crackdown by Iran’s security apparatus.

As protests swelled around the country, Iran’s internet was shut down, and the heads of its judiciary and its security services warned of a harsh response amid calls for “freedom, freedom.”

Internet monitoring firms and experts say Iran’s internet has almost completely shut down, as protests spread through major cities.

The blackout followed statements a day earlier by the heads of Iran’s judiciary and security services, who warned of tough action against protesters.

DONALD Trump says he will hit Iran “very hard” if people are killed amid widespread protests against its tyrannical regime. The country has plunged deeper into chaos as furious