Iran is experiencing a period of unprecedented internal turmoil, unseen in decades. Protests that began in late 2015 over economic issues have transformed into a broad movement against the government and the established leadership. The demonstrations, reported in several major cities including Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan, have led to clashes with security forces, communication blockades, and repressive actions that have left an undetermined number of injured, thousands arrested, and a state of alarm both within and outside the country.
Internet access has been periodically disrupted during the unrest as a measure to hinder the organization of protests and the flow of independent information, complicating the verification of figures and actual conditions on the ground. Human rights organizations have expressed concern about the use of lethal force, the detention of journalists, and the lack of safe access for international observers.
International analysts point out that the combination of economic crisis, prolonged social discontent, and a lack of political reforms has fueled citizen discontent, generating one of Iran's biggest internal crises since the 1979 Revolution and potentially influencing regional politics in the coming months.