A nationwide internet blackout was reported in Iran on Thursday (Jan 8), internet monitoring group NetBlocks said, as protests over economic hardships continued around the country.No further information on the internet outage was immediately available.

Protesters angry over Iran's ailing economy conducted a sit-in Tuesday at Tehran's Grand Bazaar, witnesses said, with security forces ultimately firing tear gas and dispersing demonstrators as the rest of the market shut down.

As chants for freedom echoed across neighborhoods, Iran's government under President Masoud Pezeshkian responded by pulling the digital plug. Internet and international calls were blocked, a familiar tactic that often signals an imminent and forceful crackdown by Iran’s security apparatus.

Protests in Iran have escalated, particularly at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, where clashes with security forces resulted in the use of tear gas to disperse demonstrators. Activists report at least 35 fatalities since the protests began,

Iran arrests hundreds, disrupts internet as currency falls to new low and protests enter a second week.

Iran’s Grand Bazaar closed amid sit-ins and clashes with security forces as nationwide protests intensified, the rial plunged to a historic low, and authorities reported dozens killed and mass arrests

Clashes at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar signal Iran’s deadliest protests in three years as anger over inflation and a collapsing rial spreads nationwide.

Protesters calling for political and economic change demonstrated in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on Tuesday

Protesters angry over Iran's ailing economy have conducted a sit-in at Tehran's Grand Bazaar as protests widen over the country's ailing economy.