Iran Protests LIVE: Internet Shut Down as India Says It Is ‘Closely Following Developments’

India is closely tracking the rapidly evolving situation in Iran amid a wave of nationwide protests over soaring inflation and sharp currency devaluation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

“We are closely following the developments in Iran. As you would have seen, we have also issued an advisory. We have some 10,000 Indian nationals and people of Indian origin in that country,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

The statement came as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the nation amid a significant escalation in protests. In his speech, Khamenei lashed out at United States President Donald Trump, calling him “arrogant” and accusing him of having his hands “stained with the blood of” Iranians. He also claimed that the US president would be “overthrown” and urged him to focus on domestic problems in the United States.

Khamenei further accused protesters of “ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy,” as unrest continued to spread across Iran.

Earlier, President Trump had warned Iran against a violent crackdown on demonstrators, saying Tehran had been “told very strongly” that it would “pay hell” if protesters were killed. Trump also claimed that the situation in Iran was “getting very bad” and alleged that Khamenei was “looking to go somewhere.”

What began as protests over economic distress has now turned into a broad-based movement against Iran’s worsening economy and the steep fall of the Iranian rial. The agitation intensified on Thursday, marking the largest anti-government demonstrations in two weeks, and continued into Friday across cities and rural towns.

Markets and bazaars remained shut in solidarity with protesters, while violence linked to the unrest has reportedly claimed at least 42 lives, according to the Associated Press. More than 2,270 people have been detained, US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported.

The protests, which started on December 28 with a shutdown of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, have now spread to all 31 provinces of Iran.

Internet Shutdown, Global Reactions

Iranian authorities have enforced a nationwide internet shutdown and cut international phone calls, according to AP, amid calls from exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urging citizens to take to the streets. Analysts say the communications blackout has made it difficult to assess the full scale of the protests.

Iranian state media has blamed “terrorist agents” linked to the US and Israel for inciting violence, claiming public infrastructure and private property were set ablaze, resulting in casualties. Unverified videos circulating online show protesters chanting anti-government slogans around bonfires.

With tensions rising and international scrutiny intensifying, India said it remains vigilant about the safety of its nationals in Iran as the unrest shows no signs of abating.