Demonstrations that began as outrage at the state of the economy have spread to cities across the country, amid an escalating crackdown by the authorities.

For a third night in a row, nationwide antigovernment protests rocked Iran, according to witnesses and videos verified by The New York Times, posted on BBC Persian and social media, even as the government intensified its crackdown and the military said it would take to the streets in response to the unrest.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and frequent critic of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's regime, posted a message on X in support of the widespread protests happening in the Mideast nation and assuring the protesters that President Donald Trump has "noticed" their resistance.

From Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi to imprisoned activists, Iran's potential successors remain unclear. Opposition figures debate who could unify after regime change.

In exile for nearly 50 years, Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has issued calls urging Iranians to join protests sweeping the country. But support for him may not be clear cut.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubled down on U.S. support for Iranian protesters early Saturday morning as the current regime cracked down on growing unrest in the country.

As protests in Iran continue and Iranian authorities issued coordinated warnings to protesters, a doctor and medic at two hospitals told the BBC their facilities were overwhelmed with injuries.

At least 65 people have been killed in the protests and over 2,300 others have been detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. However, Masih Alinejad, a prominent Iranian activist and journalist living in the United States, said “hundreds of protesters” have been killed.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned on Saturday that safeguarding security was a "red line" and the military vowed to protect public property, as the clerical establishment stepped up efforts to quell the most widespread protests in years.

Iran protests turn more violent with 65 reportedly killed by Friday and over 2,300 arrested as authorities imposed an internet blackout amid nationwide anti-regime unrest.