The scariest thing about Iran’s crackdown
vox.com • • nation
Key Points:
- Anti-regime protests in Iran, ongoing for over two weeks, have reportedly resulted in a death toll exceeding 12,000, with some estimates as high as 20,000, marking one of the deadliest crackdowns in the region's recent history.
- The Iranian government has imposed an almost total internet blackout, severely limiting information flow and obscuring the true scale and status of the protests, though verified reports describe violent repression including sniper and machine-gun attacks on demonstrators.
- The protests began over economic grievances linked to the collapse of Iran’s currency but have expanded to broader anti-government demands, with participation from diverse societal groups and calls for the end of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rule.
