SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The internet remains largely inaccessible in Iran this morning after the regime there imposed a blackout, as tens of thousands of anti-government protesters took to the country's streets again Friday evening. Human rights groups say that Iranian security forces have killed civilians and detained hundreds more. NPR senior international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam joins us. Jackie, thanks for being with us.
JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: Morning, Scott.
SIMON: It sounds as if the protests have grown increasingly large and more urgent since they started nearly two weeks ago. What do we know about last night's?
NORTHAM: Well, as you mentioned, there is an internet blackout in Iran, but there are still ways to get messages and videos out, and our contacts are saying last night's protests were huge, especially in the capital Tehran. They started earlier than normal, and people were chanting death to the dictator, meaning Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The protests were actually in many parts of the country, including Mashhad, where Khamenei comes from. You know, people have been pulling down statues of Iranian leaders and generals, and last night, some mosques were set on fire. Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former shah, has been urging on the protesters, but, you know, it's unclear how much support he has.
It does look like the security forces have started to crack down now. There are videos showing dead bodies on the ground and at hospitals. Yesterday, Khamenei, in a national address, warned the protesters to stop, saying they were destroying public property to try and please President Trump, but more protests are expected later today.
SIMON: And Iran has had many protests over the past decade and even longer. What seems to have begun this one, and what are protesters calling for?
NORTHAM: Well, this one started at the end of December when shopkeepers turned out in large numbers to protest against the economy. Inflation is red-hot - close to 50%. And the local currency, the rial, has lost half its value since September. But, you know, the economy is often the trigger for protests in Iran, but this one quickly spread.
I spoke with Gissou Nia, and she's a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, but she's also a human rights lawyer who works on Iran. And Nia says Iranians want regime change. She says these are the largest protests in years. But what's different this time around is the external pressures. You know, not only Israel bombing Iran in the summer, but those strikes also killed many senior members of the security forces and intelligence services. Here she is here.
GISSOU NIA: That is a major differentiating factor than prior rounds of protests that we've seen because there can be no doubt that the Islamic Republic officials are looking at that and wondering what will happen if they engage in further violence.
NORTHAM: And then, Scott, of course, we have President Trump weighing in, saying the U.S. will hit hard if Iran kills protesters. And after the Venezuela operation, you know, this cannot be taken as an empty threat.
SIMON: As you note, the protests have been going on since the end of December. We have seen uprisings of this order in the past, only to have them dissipate over time. Any sense if these ones will take hold?
NORTHAM: It's impossible to say. You know, there's been protests over the years where hundreds of people have been killed but then fizzled out. This - these protests come at a time when the regime is particularly weak, so we could be seeing the beginning of the end. It's just as likely the regime could double down.
SIMON: NPR's Jackie Northam. Thanks so much for being with us.
NORTHAM: Thank you, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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