Darkness Falls on Tehran: 45 Dead and Nationwide Blackout as ‘Rial Rebellion’ Hits Day 13

Iran has plunged into a total digital and physical state of siege. Following a call for mass defiance by the exiled Crown Prince, the clerical regime has responded with a nationwide internet blackout and lethal force, leaving at least 45 dead and thousands in detention.

The Islamic Republic of Iran entered its most volatile phase yet Friday (January 9, 2026), as a total nationwide internet shutdown masked a deepening crackdown on the “Rial Rebellion.” What started 13 days ago as a merchant strike over the collapse of the national currency has turned into a revolutionary movement. Human rights groups confirmed this morning the death toll has climbed to at least 45, including eight minors, while the streets of Tehran and Mashhad remain paralyzed by a standoff between security forces and a population emboldened by calls for regime change.

The sudden internet blackout, reported by monitoring group NetBlocks late Thursday, was a pre-emptive strike by the Revolutionary Guard to stop a coordinated protest called by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.

• The Call to Defiance: Pahlavi had urged Iranians to take to their balconies and streets at exactly 8:00 PM Thursday and Friday to shout for the overthrow of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
• The Response: Despite the digital dark, verified videos smuggled out via satellite links show massive crowds on Tehran’s Ayatollah Kashani Boulevard and in Mashhad, where protesters were seen tearing down surveillance cameras and chanting “Death to the Dictator” and “Long live the Shah.”
• State Media Silence Broken: For the first time, Iranian State TV acknowledged the unrest Friday morning, but blamed “terrorist agents” of the U.S. and Israel for setting fire to metro stations and fire trucks.

The scale of the violence has escalated significantly since Wednesday, which NGOs have labeled the “bloodiest day” of the movement.

Rights groups including Amnesty International have accused the FARAJA (Special Forces) of raiding the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam to detain wounded protesters directly from their beds, a tactic meant to discourage citizens from seeking medical help for gunshot wounds.

The unrest is unfolding against a backdrop of extreme regional tension following the 2025 war with Israel and the recent U.S. intervention in Venezuela.

• Trump’s Ultimatum: President Donald Trump issued a stark warning from Washington Thursday: “If you keep killing your people… then it will be Donald J. Trump’s killing.” He described the enthusiasm to overturn the regime as “incredible.”
• The Graham Warning: Senator Lindsey Graham went further, calling Ayatollah Khamenei a “religious Nazi” and explicitly telling protesters, “Help is on the way.” The rhetoric has fueled speculation of a potential U.S. “rescue mission” similar to Operation Absolute Resolve in Caracas.
• Economic Attrition: Analysts suggest the loss of Venezuela as a key oil ally has crippled Tehran’s ability to bypass sanctions, leaving the regime with a fiscal deficit it can no longer hide from the middle class.

As Friday prayers begin in Tehran under a heavy military presence, the regime faces a binary choice: a massive “Tiananmen-style” suppression that risks U.S. military intervention, or a gradual collapse of authority as the currency continues its freefall. For the millions of Iranians currently living in a digital vacuum, the 8:00 PM chants tonight will determine if the “Rial Rebellion” survives the blackout.

Also Read / Bloodshed in the Bazaar: Iran Death Toll Hits 35 as Protests Reach 27 Provinces.