The Iranian regime deployed a large number of armed military and police forces throughout downtown Tehran on the 17th (local time), resorting to a violent crackdown that appears to have quelled the large-scale anti-government protests. Residents reported that the usually crowded streets, filled with people and cars, were now empty, making the city feel as if it were under martial law.
Iran's state-run broadcaster is focusing on swaying public opinion by airing footage of detained protesters in handcuffs confessing to their crimes.
Since last month, anti-government protests have continued in Iran in response to the plummeting value of the currency and high inflation, among other economic hardships. The Iranian authorities have implemented a total shutdown of internet and telecommunications to prevent the spread of protests, making it difficult to accurately assess the scale of casualties.
On social networking services (SNS), videos have been released showing gunfire echoing through the streets at night. Another video shows armed security forces violently breaking into homes and beating residents, with the narration stating, "Iranian military and police are conducting daily house searches and arresting protest leaders based on citizens' reports."
The Sunday Times, the weekend edition of the British newspaper The Times, reported that it had obtained a new report from local Iranian doctors, stating that as of the 17th, at least 16,500 protesters had been killed and 330,000 injured.
On this day, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei acknowledged for the first time that thousands of people had died in the protests, but shifted the blame to U.S. President Donald Trump. In response, President Trump called for an end to Khamenei's 37-year rule and raised the possibility of regime change in Iran.
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