Nobel laureate warns of 'massacre' in Iran under internet blackout

The remarks pointed to an intensifying crackdown, unfolding amid a near-total internet shutdown across Iran.

Those signals have placed renewed focus on Washington, where US President Donald Trump has issued repeated public warnings to Tehran in recent days, including statements suggesting the United States could act if Iranian authorities continue killing protesters.

Whether those threats translate into policy remains unclear, but they have sharpened attention on how the White House responds as events unfold inside Iran.

Khamenei’s remarks, which included renewed accusations that protesters are being directed by foreign powers, were accompanied by direct criticism of Trump, who late Thursday night warned Iran against further violence.

Taken together, the exchanges have added to tensions already heightened by months of mutual suspicion and rhetorical escalation.

The result has been growing unease across the Iran–US–Israel triangle. Iranian officials routinely frame internal unrest as foreign intrigue, while Israeli leaders have long described the Islamic Republic as a persistent, existential threat.

Risk of escalation

Iran’s rulers now appear increasingly concerned that the United States or Israel could seek to exploit domestic instability—fears that, in turn, risk shaping Tehran’s military calculations.

Earlier this week, Iran’s National Defense Council and other security bodies issued statements warning that the country could carry out a preemptive strike if it detected preparations for an attack.

Those warnings coincided with missile tests, moves officials described as defensive but which analysts say added another layer of volatility.

The rhetoric and military signaling have raised fears of escalation even in the absence of clear intent on any side to seek a confrontation.

In Israel, security officials have expressed concern that Iran could attempt to divert attention from internal unrest by provoking an external crisis, though many analysts consider such a move unlikely.

Still, Israel’s heightened sensitivity to risk since the October 7 attacks has reinforced a preference for preparing for worst-case scenarios.

Critical decisions

As Iran’s leadership faces mounting pressure at home, the margin for error abroad appears to be narrowing.

Clear signals of US support for protesters, even if not backed by immediate action, risk aggravating Tehran’s fears of external intervention, while Iranian military signaling increases the danger of miscalculation.

Some in Washington worry that even limited American involvement—military or otherwise—could destabilize an already fragile regional balance and draw Israel into a broader confrontation.

At the same time, a White House decision to refrain from action, despite repeated warnings, could also carry consequences. Protesters inside Iran have often looked to international pressure for protection or leverage, and the absence of follow-through could further dampen momentum on the streets.

What is clear is that Iran’s internal crisis is no longer insulated from its external rivalries.

Developments inside the country now carry implications far beyond its borders, raising the risk that repression at home could intersect with miscalculation abroad—between Iran, the United States and Israel.

An Iranian eyewitness who arrived in Muscat on Friday shared accounts of escalating anti-government protests in southern cities, saying people remain in the streets.

“Thursday night in my hometown of Rafsanjan, the entire 30-Meter Street was gridlocked for five hours, packed with people chanting slogans and calling out for Prince Pahlavi,” the eyewitness told Iran International.

“All the propaganda banners belonging to the Islamic Republic along the street were set on fire. Anti-clerical slogans covered the area around the governor’s office, and people set the governor’s office itself on fire.”

The eyewitness relayed accounts from individuals in Sirjan and Shiraz, saying that security forces “appeared to have no authorization to shoot at people. They were only firing pellet guns at trees to create fear and intimidation.”

“Security forces have identified the ringleaders, arrested some of them, and will arrest others,” Larijani said in an interview with state media. “They will be dealt with.”

Larijani said some protesters had been “deceived,” while others were armed with rifles and handguns obtained from various sources. “Our problem arose only because they used those weapons,” he said.

“They tried to take over military and police centers, but we were prepared, and they did not succeed,” he said.

French, British and German leaders on Friday condemned the killing of protesters in Iran and called on Iranian authorities to halt the use of violence, according to a joint statement released by the office of French President Emmanuel Macron.

“The Iranian authorities have the responsibility to protect their own population and must allow for freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisal,” the statement said, stopping short of outlining specific consequences

The coordinated response from France, United Kingdom and Germany comes amid mounting international concern over a widening crackdown in Iran, where internet disruptions and restrictions on reporting have made it increasingly difficult to verify the full scale of casualties.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture has instructed private media outlets and state television in Kabul to refrain from airing any supportive coverage of protesters in Iran or broadcasting negative reports about the Iranian government.​

Sources from two private media outlets and Afghanistan’s national television confirmed the directive to Afghanistan International Pashto on Friday.​

Several senior editors and managers at different news outlets in Afghanistan also confirmed the order, saying it specifically requires media to avoid any supportive coverage of protests in Iran.